CadTrouble
by theolaterose99
Summary: What happens when Cad Spinner showes up at Piston Peak's Air Attack base wanting to become a smoke jumper, but instead gets sucked into an international scandal? Trouble that's what.
1. Chapter 1 arrival

C+a+d=trouble

It was late spring at Piston Peak National park the sky was bright blue and the sun beat down warmly as fluffy white clouds skittered across the sky. The smoke from the previous days fire having been blown away by a gentle breeze.

Cabbie was relaxing under his netting after a long couple of days of fighting a rather persistent grass fire. He sat there with his eyes half closed enjoying the calm of the moment. After a bit he began to dozed. He imagine that the sky's fluffy clouds started to dance around but then one of the clouds started to take the shape of a SUV. It then dawned on him that the SUV looked like the old superintendent of the park- Cad Spinner. His pleasant cloud-dream had become rather disturbing.

A light tap on the side of his head brought him back into wakefulness. Trying to clear his brain of sleep Cabbie opened his eyes and shook himself. When his vision cleared he saw the inter Jumpteam in front of him. Dynamite, having tapped him, was the closest the rest were scattered in front of him. All of the Jumpteam had disturbed looks on their faces. Seeing this Cabbie asked,"All right, what did you break?"His annoyance at being woken up showed through plainly.

The enter Jumpteam answered in unison,"Nothing yet."

Cabbie cocked an eyebrow at them, cueing an explanation.

Dynamite was the first to speak, "Nothing has been broken yet, but Blade isn't back from his lunch patrol yet ether."

By this point Cabbie's brain had jumped from, what of mine have they broke to what of Blade's highly personal items have they broken/stolen? He never expect the next sentence too come out of Dynamites mouth.

"Cad's back." It was said so calmly and quietly that at first Cabbie thought he'd heard wrong. But the disturbed look on her face made him just slightly ready to believe her.

"Honest?"

The Yes Of Corse look on her face was enough to convince him, but he still listened to her and the others replies.

"Yes yes!"

"Unfortunately yes!"

"DEFINATLY!"

"Believe her. I saw him to."

This affirmation montage was halted by a loud, "Is it good to see you again frumpy old airbase? Yes it is! Hey old jumper guy where's Blade?"

Cabbie's shock a seeing Cad would have killed lesser planes and left him speechless. Dynamite instead answered for him, "Blade's out scouting for spot fires. What do you want?"

"Oh not much. I'm just here to join your jump team."

The second sentence left all of the jumpers in sticker shock. Avalanche was the first to regain his voice with a loud, "OH SLAG!"

In the distance, Blade could be heard approaching the base. Things were about to get very interesting to say the least.


	2. Chapter 2 the agreement

Cad trouble

Blade had not been having a good day.

It began with Maru making only the WORST pot of coffee in the history of bad coffee. He himself had also failed at fabricating anything edible. In addition, Maru had dropped some coffee grounds down a small crack in the back casing while giving this coffee thing a third attempt. These grounds had fallen onto the motor and caught fire. Smelling smoke Blade asked, "Maru, what's burning."

Maru's clipped reply was on the edged of a panic, "the coffee pot is on fire. Get some retardant!"

Hearing this Blade jumped up from the mat where he had been peacefully eating a doughnut. He rushed over to the smoking coffee pot and dumped some of his retardant on the burning percolator.

This little incident had called for the the early waking of Blackout. He had been dragged out of bed and instructed to make cafe con lech (Cuban coffee). While Maru had been left to clean up the retardant and smolder remains of the coffee pot.

Blades lack of morning coffee made his morning patrol quite difficult (if not borderline dangerous). At least the park was quiet. The last fire had been a rather persistent grass fire. It had left him and the team exhausted and in need of a good bath along with a mountainous pile of paperwork. Just thinking about the mess on his desk left his head spinning.

Upon landing Blade began to smell the delightful aroma of Cabbie and Blackout's breakfast billowing out from the main hanger. The smell of Blackout's Cuban coffee mingled with the nicely with the sweet aroma of Cabbie's pancakes. These were the breakfasts that Bade lived for.

Rolling over to the main hanger he attempted to enter only to be bared by a War plain Chef and his Over Zealous assistant both shouting, "Don't you dare take another roll closer! You and Maru already burned up one appliance to day, now shoo!" Blackout followed this with some very choice words that Blade hadn't heard since Nick's demise. Both vehicles plaiting was elevated so Blade quickly rolled away while trying not to run.

The burned up coffee pot, it had even had a name, Josy, had been one of Cabbie's prize possessions. That and retardant the mess in the kitchen was enough to explained the raised plating. Cabbie, who did most of the cooking, was very particular on how the main hanger's kitchen was maintained. If he would have seen the full retardant mess it may have given him an engine attack.

Passing the power washer hanger Blade was greeted by Windlifter and a thick cloud of steam exiting together. The steam fogged over his eyes for a moment and he was forced to blink a number of times before he could see properly. But by then the big helli was gone. Man he could sneek.

Latter after a good bath, which help get the last of the grass cinders out get, a delicious breakfast (in spite of the growls from both Chef and Assistant), and some training, Blade checked his calender. Only to discovered a park board meeting. Oh lug nuts. A typical meeting consisted of nothing but name calling and shouting. Maru had often wondered which had been harder to bare, Cad's park board or just Cad. Both were pains in the tain fin.

Despite efforts by O'l Jammer to make meetings productive they often weren't. In fact Bade had only gracefully bowed out of this meeting the on the necessity of going on a spot fire patrol.

The patrol had been very uneventful and quite calming after the barrage of fire being thrown at the meeting. That was until Jammer called him on a private radio chanel to ask his opinion on some tree removal. This soon turned in to a heated debate on the Lodge side of the line. At that moment Blade just loved bureaucracy- NOT. He even wished for a spot fire. Anything to hangup on that call.

Just when he thought his mind would bust he spotted a fire. Luckily it was only an out of control campfire that he quickly extinguish. But hey, he got off the line with that stupid meeting.

Maybe his day was improving?

Ya, no.

Upon spotting the base he saw a white SUV parked right outside of Cabbie's hanger. He wondered who the guest could be. Though he soon dismissed the SUV as just a tourist that had come by and say hi. It had happened before. He'ld let Cabbie and the Smokejumpers deal with the visitor, they usually did anyways.

After touching down on his private helipad, he rolled into his hanger and was meet by Windlifter and a sea of paperwork. Seeing the large chopper nosing around the paper on his desk and floor he said,"Wind, be careful not to start an avalanche."

Seeing Windlifter going through the paperwork was nothing new. He usually helped Bade when things got out of hand and things were out most definitely out of hand. There was paperwork on the desk, on the sleeping mat, on the micro frige in the corner, on the file cabinets, and all over the floor. In fact the only spot not covered was a small path that Windlifter had cleared to the desk and the spot he and Blade were standing on.

Windlifter replied, "Blade this is bad. You have a new trainee and his paperwork is berried in this mess!"

Before Blad could question him on the news of a trainee, Maru dashed up the ramp and tried to entered the hanger. He nearly hit the helies and accidentally got a very up close crotch shot of Blade.

Upon reversing a little Maru yelled, "you're not gonna believe this...". Then seeing the miss he said,"what the at the hell happened in here! It looks like a file cabinet through up all over. Is this why you've been sleeping in the main hanger? Don't you know what the TMST will think of this. What if the base comes under audit."

When Maru stopped talking to breath Blade replied, "Maru, I understand about the mess. Wind and I are working on it." Turning to Windlifter he narrowed his eyes in a confused look and asked, "What is this about a trainee?"

"Not thirty minutes ago. Mayday. Radioed about an SUV. Coming to get certified. He said he'd faxed you the papers. So. I came to look for them." Windlifter replied in his deep mistic voice.

Maru butted in, "Ya, get this, the SUV's last name was Spin..."

He couldn't finished because Avalanche rushed up the ramp yelling (now this was an Avalanche yell so it could blow out most glass)."IT'S THE APPOCOLIPS!"

Once everyones ears had stopped ringing, an obnoxious horn and haunting voice was heard. _Honk, Honk!_ _Beep, Beep!_ "New trainee coming. Anyone gonna great me over here? Yes you are! Oh hi Blazin' Blade. Hi Big green mistic helicopter."

Blade was mad. His ears had been yelled in. His house was a disaster- though that was his own fault. He had a surprise trainee on his hands and that voice and horn could belonged to one and one car alone. Cad Spinner! At the sound of the third voice he felt his already high fuel pressure go into uncharted territory.

In the hopes of remaining calm and in a vain attempt at suppressing a rising feeling of dred Blade asked very softly, "Winder what did Mayday say the trainy's name was.''

"Mayday didn't give me a name." This reply was followed by a loud noise from the top of the desk. Brrr brruumm sssshhheeeeewwwiiiiissssshhhhh sssshhhiiiissssh brrrummm. After a beep a few pieces of paper fell out of the mostly covered desk.

Nosing them around Windlifter found the one with the trainy's name on it. To his horror and confusion it read: Cad Spinner. At first Windlifter couldn't answer but after a moment his voice returned. So he began in a very shaky Windlifter voice, "Blade... the paper says. Cand Spinner."

Windlifter nosed the paper into Blade's range of closer vision and the chief read it to himself. After reading the paper over twice and pinching himself Blade looked up and ordered everyone off the ramp to his hanger. Once everyone else was down he rolled down and drove up to Cad. Looking him strait in the eyes and said, "What the fuck are you thinking. Do you think YOU have what it takes. 'Cause I don't. While you worked here you squandered our damn budget on luxuries for your damn lodge project. When we were slower to respond to some 'disaster' down at the lodge, because we were out going our jobs, not goofing off, you never listened to our side. Never!"

By the end of the rant Blade was almost on top of Cad. His mouth not a half of an inch from Cads bumper. His blue eyes blazing hot with an unearthly fire, bore deep into the now cowering SUV. In fact even Cabbie, Windlifter and Maru all flinched when they saw Blades eyes. It was freaky what he could do with those two blue orbs.

Even though Cad looked throughly cowed he still had the lug nuts to respond. "Blade, Blade ,Blade. You think you know me. But I'm not the same car. I'm different. I've changed. You think of me as a moocher. Nope! Can Death Valley change a car? Yes. Yes it can. I'm a changed car." He ended this with a million dollar smile.

Blade continued to stare him down, but if then a if on a cue he said, "Hmm...Wait do you think Wind? Should we try'm out?"

While he spoke he hoped that Windlifter would read his mind. He did. "Maybe. Others from Mayday haven't been bad. Think of Dusty." Was Windlifter's thoughtful reply.

Turning back to Cad, Blade laid out the agreement, "If are to stay, you'll have t' prove that you can work hard. With zero complaints. Zero! You'll live, train, eat, sleep, and work with the Smokejumpers. One bad word out of them concerning you and you are gone. This will be fore a month after that I'll re-decide what is to be done with you. Is it explicitly clear what is expected of you?"

"Of corse sir." Was his hasty reply.

Almost as an afterthought Blade added, "and never ever call me Blazin' Blade. Ever Ever Ever. Is that CLEAR?!"

The reply was vigorous nod.

Good. Blade thought.

Calling to Windlifter and Dynamite he lead the two to his hanger. Once inside he spoke to Dynamite, " Dynamite, you must watch him very carefully. Everyday I want a full report on his behavior. Also encourage some not so crazy pranks to be played on him. Got it?"

"Oh, I got it chief. This should be very fun." With that and a simple tip of the body she left.

Turning to Windlifter he said, "lets get to work on this mess."

Windlifter's silent nod was gesture enough and the two got to work.

.


	3. Chapter 3 plans

Cad trouble

Dynamite couldn't help but smile as she broke away from the huddle of her sky diving bretherin. Blade's plan to prank Cad out of the team was pure genious, and he had chosen just the right vihicles for the task. The Smokejumper had just finished their first prank planning session.

Drip had the worlds smuggest expression plastered on.

Avalanche had a grin fortelling pure evil. His evil face could put the fear in anyone, maybe even Blade, Maru, or Cabbie.

Blackout and Pineecone were still wispering behind their raised saw and rake. That could breed nothing good. Usually, if Pinecone alone was skeaming, pranks didn't go that crazy. But her and Blackout together. Oh, chrystler what trouble. Ah well Blade, had comissioned this trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Cad trouble

Evening had come to Piston Peak park. The setting sun turned the sky into a heavenly inferno, the brilliant colors the leaping flames. The heat of the day was dissipating, as Blade took off into the glorious sunset for his evening patrol. Down below his co-workers were assembling for their evening meal in the mainhanger. Before taking off, he had smelled the intense aroma of Avalanche's cooking.

Like everything Avalanche did his cooking was extreme, unholy amounts of any seasoning could be included. Sometimes this could be nearly fatal, like the time after the Propwash air show, when he had gotten some cropduster's chilly recipe. Some still swore that they could feel the burn in there engines nearly nine months later. Oh well Avalanche was still a better cook than he or Maru. So even if the food hurt your engines it wouldn't kill you.

For most vehicles on base dinner duty was a joy, not so much a chore. The aromas that would float out of the main hanger were an automatic call to table except in the cases of Patch and Blade. Patch with her tower door closed could only detect the strongest of aromas. Tonight was one of those rare moments when the tower was fumigated by the heavenly smells.

In the main hanger Avalanche was hard at work in the kitchen. He had on a big chefs hat that was cocked at a jonty angle. His mouth stick flicked here and there as he pored ominous amounts of salsa into various pots, pans, and a casserole dish. When he had finished with the salsa can- that was now empty- he propped his hat back up a little but it inevitably slid right back down his canopy.

Dynamite was parked a short but safe distance away on the couch. After being skunked by Drip in two games of Asteroids she had turned her attention to Avalanche. "Ya know you got hot stuff on Cabbie's hat, right."She remarked.

Avalanche stopped stirring a bubbling pot that was on the stove and leaned over toward the microwave. Looking in the microwaves glass he spotted a large red stain. His mouth fell as did the mouthstick with it."CABBIES GONNA KILL ME!" He shriek.

After being dismissed by Blade, Cad had trailed the Smokejumpers around. That had taken him to the door of their hanger (which had been promptly closed) and back to Blade's hanger. There he had drawn a chore card with everyone else. He being the newest was last to draw. As he went to draw a card he noticed everyone snickering a bit. Once he read it he realized why. The card read, "DUTY of DEATH, LATRENE!" For half a second he contemplated complaning. But after remembering having to fill the lime toilets at death valley and seeing Blade tense his rotors. (Often a sign of pre-aggression in rotor craft). He kept his peace. How bad could it be? Couldn't be as bad as lime toilets now that was BAD. So he shrugged and went on his way.

Latrine was bad but not lime toilet bad. After that interesting experience he trailed the Smokjumpers to the main hanger. From outside he could see the big one Ava-something cooking. He had a seriously oversized hat on that kept falling down. It looked rediculous. Cad had trouble stifling a laugh. The others seemed to be playing a game on the T.V. Dynamite glanced at him several times. It was a, are-you-about-to-missbefave look, one one would give to a troublesome toddler.

Braving the glares form Dynamite, Cad entered the main hanger and settled in a corner. Where he shook a journal and pen out of one of his doors. Picking up the pen in his mouth he tried to write but the incessant noise from the T.V. and the loud shrieks of his co-workers made writing anything but impossible. The noise became unbearable when Avasomthing shouted, "CABBIES GONNA KILL ME!" Cad let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed up his things. With the full intent to flee the noisy hanger and find a new writing spot. Blindly driving to the door he was forced to slam his breaks when he was greeted by the belly of aforementioned C119.

After Cads arrival and the ensuing seen, Cabbie had disappeared. The last vehicles he'd seen were the Jumpers as they ran off to their hanger. Instead of going back to his napping spot under the netting Cabbie set off on a small wooded trail. Windlifter had cleared it so Cabbie, Dipper, and himself could go down it with little to no difficulty. Nothing killed a good hiking vibe like being smacked in the noggin by a branch while looking at the surroundings. Let alone getting a bug down your plating. Ighhh. Not fun.

Cabbie didn't know why but the Base just wasn't always enough. Sometimes he would get the strange instinct to roam free. When this would happen (and it happened quite often)he enjoyed a quiet roll through the forest. Maybe it would sooth that little bit of remaining wild instinct to roam? Maybe, but other times he would leave Base just to think. Like today.

His pleasant ambles were ended with Recarrah's Work blaring through his radio. Oh he hated that song, but it was the call to chores so he headed back to base. Back on Base he headed over to Blade's hanger. There Windlifter was passing the chore can around. As he closed his eye and drew he preyed it wasn't latrine again he'd had it for three days straight! When he opened his eyes he saw it was only apron sweeping. Nothing that terrible. But Avalanche's draw of KP, was going to be painful, it always was. But everyone chuckled when it was discovered that Cad had drawn latrine. Now that was some sweet revenge.

After the chores were passed out Cabbie poked Windlifter with his prop blade. The big helli jumped but only gave him a questioning stare. "Oh you know what you did. Putting latrine on the bottom, so Cad would get it. You know what you've done Silus McWind. Good one."

To Cabbie's statements the big Sikorsky just shrugged and said, "I do what is fair."

Cabbie couldn't help but chuckle as he drove off, that big helli acted so pure but yet he was the biggest prankster amongst them.

After his chores were finished Cabbie headed to the main hanger it inquire on the edibility of Avalanche's cooking for that night. As he approached the hanger he heard a loud scream that included his name and kill in the same breath. Oh boy, what had those Jumpers done now. Hopefully they hadn't broken another appliance, one was enough for one day!

Cabbie quickened his roll as he speeded towards the hanger, fearing what lied inside. He swooped around the corner and was rushing in when... BAM. An SUV hid Cabbie square in the nose.

Upon impact Cad started the apologies, "I'm so sorry, oh my are you all right! Oh yes you are, you just have to be! Please don't..."

Cad couldn't finish his sentence because Cabbie cut him off with his own apology string, "Sorry didn't see ya their, are you okay!"

Cad shook to free a small dent, "Yes I am." Then in a whisper, " yeah now that the infernal rackect's gone." After the collision Blackout had rolled over the remote and turned off the TV, thus killing the noise of Asteroids.

"Well thats good. This is better than the time..."

"PLEASE DON'T EMBARISS ME!" Avalanche's shout covered the end of Cabbie's statement.

Dynamite eye roll could be heard in China. Cabbies replied, "And why not? You tell plenty of embarrassing on me why not you."

As if on que Dipper called from her hanger, "PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN'T THROUGH STONES AVALANCHE!"

"You too Dipp!"Cabbie bellowed to her. Maru's harsh cackle could be heard as Dynamite did another of her famous eye rolls in response to the seen.

Cabbie turned back to Avalanche, "So why was I going to kill you..."

Cad didn't hear the end of the banter because he'd fled the seen ASAP, namely when Cabbie had pulled all the way into the hanger. Right then Cad missed the almost haunting silence of Death Valley. No vehicles for miles and freedom to hear oneself think. This is going to be interesting living on a base in almost constant contact with other vehicles.

A/N hope everyone enjoyed the story and I hope to update sooner from now on but I can't promiss. Also first person to PM me after finding the refrence to a modern popstar and song will get a prize.


	5. Chapter 5 the bear

Cad trouble

It was about 0300 at Piston Peak National Park. The heat of the previous day was gone and there was a slight chill to the air. Everywhere at the air attack base vehicles were sleeping. Windlifter was on top of his hanger, his rotors drooping in extreme relaxation. Cabbie was mostly in is hanger but one tail poked defiantly out of the door. Dipper was cuddled up in her hanger, practically squeezing to death a pushy Dusty Crophopper. She had a large ribbon of drool hanging out of her mouth, that would pull in and out with every snore. Maru was lying in the center of his hanger looking dead except for the occasional twitch of a fork. Patch was parked next to him -just not on her side like he was. She had one fork placed on a pile of junk and the other on Maru's side. It was as if she had fallen asleep while attempting to wake him and steady herself. Blade was asleep in his hanger, with his nose under a green writing lamp. He had a pen in his mouth and an incident map spread before him. Over all the base was calm.

In the Smokejumper hanger there was a different kind of peace. A wilder kind. Now of corse even there there were differences. Pinecone was on her sleeping mat but other than her and Cad the smokejumpers were strewn about the hanger. Avalanche was closest to the door and was stretched out full length across it. Hopefully no one would need out in the middle of the night. Drip was squarely in the center of the hanger. Sleeping on his head of course. Dynamite was perched on a pile of blankets and was snoring uproariously. In the day light hours Avalanche was my far the loudest but by night Dynamite owned that coveted spot.

Cad sat on his sleeping mat against the back wall, his eyes squeezed shut. But definitely not asleep. Could that UTV not shut up! Her snoring was the most obnoxious racket ever. How the others slept so soundly was a mystery to him.

After sitting still in the dark listening to snores for what seemed like an eternity, Cad started for the door. A pressing urge to relive himself driving his exploit. He carefully negotiated Drip and rolled toward the door but a loud noise stopped him dead in his tracks. Brrrg...bang...monfmonf.

Cad thought through rational explanations as he moved Avalanche. Scoop, could have been a rat. Folding back the lifter arms, could have been a possum. Wait do those live around here? Attempting to move him a few inches to open the door, deer. Maybe.

 _It was late and it been an interesting night, with Cabbie yelling at him and all. That plane had serious problems with personal property destruction. Come on, there hadn't been that much salsa on the hat AND it had been an accident! At least Cabbie hadn't murdered anyone, he'd tried to do that this morning with his coffee machine. Though come to think about it how did one go about destroying a coffee machine. Oh well, not important. Better stretch is tightness out of the lifters._ These were the drowsy thoughts of Avalanche as he stretched out on the floor of the Smokejumper hanger while sleep encroached on his senses. Then there was darkness. Ahh... sleep.

Cad had successfully moved Avalanche, opened the door and was rolling toward the main hanger when his nose detected a funny smell. Was that garbage? Had the dumpster been open when he went to bed? Hmm... had Maru actually left the main hanger open?

Cad cautiously peered into the mainhanger. Couch. Kitchen area with the remnants of the flammable food. The TV . Windlifter's desk and a file cabinet. Bear. Wait BEAR! Cad froze panic over taking him.

"BEEEEAAAAARRRRRRR! AHHHHHEEEEEEK" Cad screamed. Spinning around, he slammed the door shut with a bang so loud it might have woken the dead.

Avalanche had been lifted from his exploits in dreamland when he felt himself being scooted across the hanger floor. The light from Cabbies nighty light fell on his face and in the dim lighting be saw Cad starting for the main hanger. Avalanche struggled to his treads and quietly rolled on to his sleeping mat. He had nearly fallen asleep again when a girlish shriek of absolute terror slashed through the night air. All of Avalanche's senses snapped awake with the sudden noise. What could have scared the SUV? Probably anything. At dinner he had confessed to a fear of all bugs and arachnids. Though come to think of it Cabbie had also exhibited a similar fear, though he heavily denied it, like the time Drip had dropped a giant cockroach in front of him while he was napping. Now THAT had brought on quite a shriek and a chase. It was hilarious to see a C119 come shrieking after Drip brandishing a extra large flyswatter.

Avalanche was pulled out of his musings when a panicked car rushed in to the hanger and flipped on the lights.

"THERE IS A BEAR IN THE MAIN HANGER!"Cad shouted.

"ARE YOU SURE THAT IT IS A BEAR?" Avalanche replied in his loud voice.

"Yes I'm sure. It looks like a bear and what else could it be!"

These two's noisy exchange and the noise from the bears discovery had woken all of the other smokejumpers. "So let me get this straight, there is a bear in the main hanger." Dynamite yawned drowsily.

"Yes! A great big one." Cad breathless replied.

"What should we do, Dynamite?" Blackout asked.

"I umm... I really don't know." Dynamite chewed her lip and looked puzzled, "Cad did you see how the bear got in?"

"Umm... not really but the door was open," he gestured toward the main hanger with his hood, "maybe it just walked in? At least that's what I think may have happened."

"Someone should really be more careful!" Pinecone exclaimed, "Bears are dangerous."

Everyone nodded. "Hey how 'bout we get Uncle, he must know something about bear removal"

"Great idea Drip." A yawning Blackout added.

The smokejumpers can hardly ever wait for a opportunity to prank their unfortunate ride to work. New members- even if they had once been a terrible nuisance of a boss- are always educated on this fine art as soon as possible after being hired. This said, Cad found himself antenna deep in a crash corse of the fine art. He stood behind Cabbie holding a feather duster on a mouthstick, his plating bristling. It all most didn't seem right, tickling the guy. He was sleeping so soundly and the bugs were making such a nice little chirp chirp song. It was very relaxing. He couldn't blame him for not waking even when they had approached quite noisily.

Cad took a deep breath and wiggled the feather duster. The big plane didn't even flinch, if anything he might have snored a little louder. Cad took an apprehensive look back at the other jumpers. "You an't wigglin' it fast 'nough." Pinecone whispered.

Cad tried again, the other jumpers snickered. No change in the Boxcar's state. Cad tried a third time. This time Cabbie visibility jumped. He muttered something and started to turn around but bumped his port tail on the hanger door. He flinched back in pain and accidentally knocked the feather duster out of the mouthstick. Cad vainly tried to catch the feather duster, but instead caught one of Cabbies radio wires in the pinchers of the mouthstick. He wrestled it free and it let go with a TWANG. Poor Cabbie must have jumped three feet in the air. The Boxcar let out such a string of inventive curses and gags of pain that Cad considered entering the hanger to check on him. All the senior jumpers fleed. Cad was about to enter the hanger when Pinecone's rake fell over his hood and pulled him back. "C'mon, we gotta go,"she loudly whispered. "Cabbie's gonna skin..." The words died on her lips. Cabbie had turned around and was glaring at them, a look of pain and pure furry covered his normally smiling face.

"Pinecone, really! How did you get mixed up with this... this... this... ahh the wires!"Cabbie stopped until the throbbing pain in his head reseeded, "what's the big idea, tickling a guy awake in the middle of the night with a feather duster and then snapin' his radio lines!" Cabbie stopped only to breath. "Do you not remember the last time this happened? And why are you hanging around with Cad at this un-Godly hour, don't tell me you were fraternizing with the first new male to step on base! Now which one of you came up with this insulation-brained idea." Once finished, he accented his speech with a strong glare at Pinecone.

Pinecone desperately wished to sink into the tarmac right then. "Well umm..."why was it always her that got questioned? "Cad you tell 'im."

"So I um... couldn't sleep... and um... had to pee... so I went to the main hanger and ummm... openedthedoorandfoundaBEAR!"

At the word bear all Cabbie's senses jumped from rudely awakened and in pain to THERE"S A BEAR IN THE MAINHANGER! "Wait Cad, there's a bear in the mainhanger?" Cabbie asked a nervous Cad.

Cad nodded his head furiously.

"Well I guess there's a first to everything then. An SUV smokejumper and a bear in the hanger." Cabbie paused and looked at Pinecone, "and you planing very bad, border line evil pranks."

Before Pinecone could refute the assumption of her villainy, Cabbie was halfway across the tarmac in the direction of Winflifter's hanger. He paused when he got to the dumpsters and looked at the garbage that had been scattered. He hmmffed before passing it and said, "Cad you're right looks like we've been visited by a bear, you go wake Blade. I can't imagine how pleased he's gonna be. Pinecone you go find your brethren and get Maru."

Upon hearing Cabbie's request, Cad reluctantly left the circle of light from Cabbie's night light. Approaching Blade's hanger, he swallowed a nervous lump and lightly rapped on the door.

Blade answered the door rather annoied. _Really_ , he thought to himself, _really, Cad. Can't you go eight hours without being a headache. Just one night!_ "What is it Cad?" Blade asked, hoping it sounded as annoied as he felt.

"Well Blade, I um... um..."

"Spit it out Cad" Blade growled

Cad gulped and went for gold, "I found a bear in the mainhanger."

Blade's eyes exploded and he rushed out of his hanger and down the ramp. "Come on Cad, we better get it out. Why didn't you tell me sooner and how'ld you find it?" Proceeded to tell the story again, at least this time with less of a stutter.

It was Windlifter that came up with the final plan for the bear's removal. His explanation was the most words Blade had heard from him all week, "So. This is what I am thinking." Windlifter began, "Maru. You'll open the front door. Be very quiet though. Everyone else. We will go around back. And make a bunch of racket. Hopefully it will run right out and be gone." Windlifter looked at Blade who nodded this approval and said "let's do it Wind."

Windlifter carefully opened the hanger door and almost got run over by the panicked grizzly. It bellowed and ran into the woods, never to be seen on the base again.

Once the bear was out there was still no hope of a speedy return to bed. The mainhager was trashed. Cabbie's shock at the state of the kitchen was down right hilarious to the smokejumpers. Cabbie did not share their merriment and instead went around trying to repair the ruins of Athens.

Blade took advantage of the incident and used it to observe Cad's new work ethic. He liked everything he saw. He observed Cad doing his job diligently and helping others when possible. Though he continued to rap out orders to Cad he smiled inside and thought maybe Mayday was right again.


	6. Chapter 6 the long day

Cad trouble

Cad sat outside the main hanger, again fleeing the hanger's occupants incessant noise. The day had been long and very hard. He yawned and stretched before dropping down into his suspension again. Even that hurt though. To get his mind off his aches he took out his journal...

May 28, 2017

Hello written me. Do you want to know what happened today? Yes you do! Do you ever think my asking and then answering my own question is weird? I don't. I like it seems to make me Cad Spinner. Oh well back on track now.

This morning I found a bear. It is funny now actually, cause I kinda did it before I'd even been here a full day, even though Blade gave me the sort end of the stick all day cause of it. After cleaning up from the bear incident, I helped Cabbie and Dynamite cook up a giant pot of what they called apple, cinnamon, raisins, oat meal. I think I impressed those two by being able to cook. Everyone here seems to think I must be helpless and annoying.

After breakfast, training started. I was rather surprised that Blade was not my instructor. Guess who it might have been. Well it was the big green fella, Windlifter. Apparently he is training to be an in instructor, while I'm training to Smokejump. Back on track now again. I do go on a lot of tangents! So first we had a classroom session to learn about fire movements and different suppression tactics. At first it was just too many technical words! But by the end I had learned a few and I have to memorize the rest by Thursday.

When we were done in the classroom, Maru- who had been in the class room making notes on Windlifter's performance, took me out to his shop where he added a bunch of reinforcements to me. It feels really weird. So I can still move just its harder. Does that kind of make sense? I hope it does! After he was done he handed me over to Dynamite.

Insert a very bad drawing of a UTV captioned- Dynamite toughest, meanest, feistiest work out coach ever!

All of the Jumpers were out on the tarmac when Dynamite and I arrived. The moment she stopped Avalanche snapped it a fake salute and yelled, "HELLO MISS INSTRUMENT OF OUR PAIN! MISS SIR!"

"Drop it 'Lanche," Dynamite had smirked.

"Come on Jumpers let's teach ol' Spinner here how to move." Dynamite said, accenting (move) with a subductive swing of her rear fenders. Pinecone had gulped and tried to hide behind her rake while Dynamite pretended to laugh evilly. After that the pain started.

First she lead us down a long and winding path through the woods at breakneck speed. I tried to keep up, but failed miserably because I kept getting sticks and briers in my undercarriage. Damn low profile! Dynamite eventually stopped at a large clearing with the rest following close behind while I was still several hundred lengths away. When I entered the clearing all of them had an evil looks on. "So, Cad, not bad for a first time. But now you'll learn something very useful. Most of the time when we jump all goes well, except when it doesn't and then your in a tree." Dynamite paused and looked up. "No make that up a tree." That evil smirk flitted across her face again and I must have gulped loudly.

A tree climbing, knot tying, and very basic parachute rigging class later I was in the middle of a large tree. I gulped and looked down. For a moment the world spun and then barf!

Okay two things never ever to do, one, twang Cabbie's radio wires, two, puke on your Smokejumper captain as she shouts you directions. I did both in one day, what a record! Two hours later once me and the chute were extracted (only thanks to Pinecone's wonderful explanations) I got an angry UTV I my personal box. "Be glad you didn't spill it all on Blade. He'd 'a'' just murdered you on the spot, not me though, you're gonna feel this one! Everyone twenty miles, two hundred tire or tread ups, and up the cliff and one tree!"

Everyone gave me dark looks as we pulled out and I gulped loudly again.

When we got to the cliff and tree climbing, Blackout and I were paired off together. He decided to go in front and tie the rope off first, then I would lead for the second part of the assent. When all the teams were ready and the rules laid out, Dynamite radioed Cabbie. A few moments later one of his tails was over the edge of the cliff. When he waved it, the race was on.

Blackout started by gripping madly at the rocky ledges to pull himself up. After he got the rope secured I pulled myself up and lead off. We scrambled up and up. Scraping a tire here and an undercarriage there. Almost to the top I made the mistake of kicking out one tire. The motion caused a shower of gravel to rain down on to Blackout. It was followed by a stream of Spanish I wish I didn't know the meaning of. When we reached the top, we shook out and started up the nearest tree. Luckily it was a very sturdy old Seder, and we were soon has high up as safety would permit. On the decent we met Pinecone and Avalanche on the way up. We were in the lead I couldn't believe it. But we still didn't have time to celebrate, because that pair was soon barreling down the tree after us. We madly lowered ourselves until Blackout accidentally slipped and we both fell out of the tree. I now know what all the reinforcements were for.

Blackouts fall saved our lead and we won. Shortly after our touch down, Maru snapped a ton of pictures on his Polaroid. The first one was the best, it had me on top of Blackout with my wheels in the air as he laid on his side with a crazy grin plastered to his face. It's going in here after it is photocopied.

After lunch I had another round of training. This time with Cabbie and Maru. Now let me get this straight, Cabbie is a very clean plane on the outside as cargo planes go. But on the inside, what a mess!

In death valley I had learned that you can usually judge a plane's number of repairs or alterations by the number of wires hanging about. When the cargo planes would bring materials to the flats I had helped unload many times and quickly learned to learn about a plane by looking at it. Looking at Cabbie's bay, it screamed of a hard life.

When Maru asked me to back in, I carefully put wait on the ramp and started backing. For a car backing in to a parking spot is simple because they just use their mirrors and glide in. In a plane you have to use your instincts more because it is darker the farther you go and mirrors are of no use. Also in this case I had to doge to the bulkheads of Cabbie's spine and the the low hanging wires that were scattered around. The other interesting thing is that the farther I went into Cabbie's bay the louder his breathing was. In any plane you can hear the birds breath, it's just, a jumbo is better insulated and noise proofed than a seventy year old C119. When I stopped, I was near the front of the bay right under Cabbie's wings and lungs. Maru rolled in and said, "so how yah like it Cad."

I shrugged and said, "It's not a jumbo jet," I could have sworn to have seen Cabbie's thoughts riling at that moment. "But I am not complaining," I quickly added.

Maru looked like he was about to say something when a voice echoed around us. "You better like it is gonna be your ride to work if all goes well." It really is strange when a plane talks while you are inside of it because the voice talking to you is so distorted and yet still there. After Cabbie's interruption of him, Maru began again. "Try out the wheel straps. They'll be useful if Cabbie here pulls anything"incredible" while your on board."

I tried the straps on only to find that Cabbie was moving. Maru cackled and buckled in, himself, "So Cabbie, where we goin'?" He asked in a comical voice.

"Out to have a little fun." Was the jovial reply.

When I felt my stomach drop, I knew Cabbie was air born. After a bit his voice again boomed around us, "Maru, you remember how to get out and get out fast?"

"Yeah why Cabbie?"Maru asked.

"So, when I land you get out quick like. Me and Cad need a little time together."

At this point my head was spinning. Why had this plane bothered to take off only to land and let off half his cargo? What did he want me for? Then a terrible idea popped into my head. He was one, gonna take off and drop me. Or two, take off only to crash us both and end our existence! I don't know why I actually got ether of these thoughts, but hey my mind's weird.

Cabbie landed and Maru quickly disembarked and then took off again. Once air born Cabbie started a series of maneuvers. But he only did this after telling me a rather disturbing story about Pinecone spilling a load of fuel on her first maneuvering try out. Apparently she had been having a hard few days of training in which she had jumped into trees repeatedly, and needed something simple. Instead Maru had ended up having to clean out Cabbie's bay extensively. I grimaced at the thought and told him about the Dynamite incident from earlier. He laughed so hard at it his whole body shook in the air.

Cabbie said he'd start out gently so I wouldn't pull a Pinecone. Which I'm very great full for. Cabbie's first maneuver was a bank. A nice swooping thing that wasn't bad at all. Next he tried a figure eight. That was fun. Cabbie then got a little crazy and started going up and down like he was in a mogals course.

Then out of nowhere came Recarrah's voice singing the chorus of her song Work. The noise was deafening inside of the cargo bay. When I thought the noise couldn't get worse Cabbie started yelling on his radio at Maru.

"Patch would you..." Maru's dry cackle sounded above the noise."Maru what are you thinking! Shut this hanous racket off its ruining Cads hearing."

Another dry cackle, "then I'll fix it once y'all are back and doin' your chores. Don't bite me now Wind... Ahh... bye guys... hurry!"

Once the forklifts voice died out I could hear other voices start yelling at each other. Maru was the loudest, but I could here Blade, Patch, and even Windlifter duking it out. But over all there was that terrible song. _* He says me have to ,work work work work work work *_ After a bit Cabbie decided to add his two sense worth to the seen. "Damn TMST reg. Stating a poor guy can't turn off his radio!"

Cabbie had long since stopped his acrobatics and was heading towards base."Cad what do you think of these reelling-in methods?"

"Um, the song caught me off guard and is rather annoying. But it's effective." I sighed while feeling my stomach drop as Cabbie descended for a landing.

Soon after we landed I again drew latrine. Ug! I really hope this trend doesn't continue for long.

Cad looked up from his writing when a large shadow was cast over his journal. "Cad. I am going on patrol. Do you want to come?" The shadow asked in a deep mystic voice.

"Um yeah sure..." Cad struggled for a name. "Windlifter."

A few moments later Cad found himself learning how to rig one's self into a heli's hoist. Maru assisted Cad with the actual rigging, as Windlifter called back more directions. Once Cad was securely in the hoist, Maru stepped back as Windlifter spooled up his rotors. To Cad this was all new, the wind flying around him, the hoist tightening as Windlifter taxied. Inside Cabbie, the noise of the birds breath and talk had been all-around him, but hanging from Windlifter it was as if he himself was doing the flying.

Windlifter and Cad soared over the park passing all the scenic areas and also the not so well seen back woods. From his vantage point Cad could see deer running hither and thither and small birds gliding from tree to tree. A side from the wildlife, Cad kept a lookout for spot fires. But seeing none Windlifter pointed his bow homeward and started back as the sun sank deeper into the Western horizon. It had been a long day for Cad but it was ending well. In the morning he hoped to do it all again.


	7. Chapter 7 Pinky

Pinky

* * *

There had not been a fire of any significant size for four days and it was early June. So, when Patch got the call early in the morning, early enough that Blade was still out on patrol, the team snapped into action.

In the Jumper's hanger Dynamite gave Cad little jobs like,"grab that line for 'Lanche." Or,"unstick the door."

Cad ran all over the hanger grabbing the line that had runaway from Avalanche and helping Pinecone finished her suiting up. When Dynamite's chute drop wouldn't drop properly, he half climbed half fell up the apparatus. Once on top he rattled the mechanism the way Dynamite instructed and soon the stubborn chute was freed and on Dynamite. Who drove off bellowing a thank-you.

As the team flew off in Cabbie, Cad noticed he had been left alone with Maru and Patch. Not that being alone with Patch was bad, but because she was not the only vehicle was the problem.

Maru seeing Cad parked in the center of the tarmac gave him a great idea. Hey, when would he have an opportunity like this ever again. Time to give out the dirty work.

Cad saw him coming over and started to panic.

"Hey, Cad! Ready to work?"

"Um... sure."Cad replied quickly attempting to swallow his dred.

Maru cackled. Never a good sign. Maru motioned Cad towards one of the retardant tanks. "All righty Cad," Maru began with a smirk, "time to learn how to clean out a retardant tank!"

Cad gulped and rolled up the ramp. This was the kind of thing he had been dreading. at the top he stared down into the deep tank that was nearly empty. "Maru... um how do you ... um clean it?"

"Oh that's simple," Maru leered,"all ya gotta do is clime in and scrub the scum off the walls and out of the out put pipe. Here's the ladder, it's your best friend. And the scraper! Now don't drop that there scraper, it was thirty bucks!" By now the forklift was driving away leaving Cad with more questions than before.

Feeling that he was not going to get any more help he started carefully scraping the sides. Everything went great until his intake manifolds started to itch. He desperately tried not to sneeze but couldn't hold it back. Wazzzzu. His sneezes noise echoed around the base and Maru laughed in the repair bay. Before Cad knew it he had dropped his scraper in his sneezing fit.

 _Oh crap_ he mentally yelled at himself seeing the scraper on the bottom of the tank.

Carefully he lowered the ladder into the blackness of the tank and shakily set his tire on the first rung. He gulped with every movement fearing the ladder would tip. On the last rung he paused and stared at the stagnant fire engine red retardant and feared what it was going to do to his white paint. Bravely he reached his right rear tire down into the sludge. It oozed around his treads and wheels up to his accel but he went on. Down came the second rear wheel and the front two. Cad stood in the muck for a moment then deftly plunged his nose into the ooze and grabbed the scraper in his teeth and raised it triumphantly. When he opened his eyes he expected to see the blue sky through the tanks car-hole but instead he saw the grinning face of Maru. The last pitty he wanted to see right then!

Maru cackled at him, "ya know, pink really is a nice color on you. Oh yeah and I brought you the pick and hose for when you rinse the tank out. Bye."

Cad glared at the spot Maru had occupied. It was just ridiculous how fast he could vanish into thin air when he had the mind to.

Cad climbed the ladder and began again the scraping. Soon the bottom of the tank (and Cad) were covered in the pink slime. When the walls were done Cad tiredly pulled himself up the ladder for what seemed the thousandth time. When he reached the top he was greeted by the bright flash of Maru's Polaroid, and the owner's cackle. Blinking Cad asked, "what was that for?!"

Maru's, "it's for the wall." Didn't help Cad's anger levels any. He growled at Maru and rushed down the ramp to the tanks down spout. He twisted the cap off and waited of the retardant to poor out.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Cad could have sworn. This was a very frustrating job. Why did the dumb pipe have to clog right now! He grabbed the scraper and jammed it in the spout and out poured the retardant slime- right onto Cad. It covered him from bumper to bumper. He gritted his teeth and started to drive toward the power washers. He didn't make it to the washers before Windlifter's deep laugh echoed around the base over the PA.

Cad scrubbed and scrubbed at the red retardant slime. But with little success. He was a hot pink SUV with small white streaks. Oh the flack he was gonna catch! Cad hid in the power washer hanger until Maru bellowed,"Cad get out here. Time ta learn something." He groaned and slowly rolled out to the tarmac.

Maru and Windlifter both smirked when they saw Cad. Windlifter, who was parked by the fuel tanks mused to Maru,"hmmf the smokejumpers should have fun with this. I can just see the pranks."

"You better believe it." Maru laughingly replied. Brandishing a long dip cup he motioned to Cad. "Come up on the ramp with me." He called while rolling up the ramp parted next to Windlifter. Cad nervously rolled up the ramp and stopped next to Windlifter's landing gear. Way to close to Maru for his comfort.

Windlifter sat stock still as Maru explained to Cad the process of checking a helicopter's fuel for impurities. When Maru went to remove his fuel cap Windlifter involuntarily jumped as a radio transmission came over - _tree tree whiskey, this is Chief tree zero one. Have you landed and gotten that stick out yet, over._

Maru glared at Windlifter, "You have a stick stuck somewhere? Now how on earth did this happen and why didn't you say something all ready! This could have been the death of you! Why didn't you say anything about this over the radio!"

Maru's rant continued while Windlifter replied to Blade- _Chief tree zero one, yes I have landed and Maru has just found out about the um problem. As you can probably hear he is just ecstatic, over._

At Maru's silent order Cad rushed down the ramp, closely followed by a furious Maru. Cad stood well back as the large heli got practically dragged into the repair hanger. At a safe distance he followed the pair into the open hanger. He was glad he had stayed far away too, when a wrench nearly hit his pink hood.

After the wrench, Cad darted out of the hanger but only to be met by a inbound Blade. He jumped back to avoid Blades forward charge and got a large wrench right above his eyes. Blade dodged another flying wrench and smirked at Cad, "Wrenched and named all in one day. What a streak! See you around Pinky."

Cad cringed at the name and slunk off to hide until the Jumpers would discover his embarrassment.

* * *

Sorry for the slow updates but I will try to update sooner. Life just keeps getting in the way:'(


	8. Chapter 8 of fuel trucks

Cad trouble 8

In his attempt to hide from the wrenches and names, Cad dodged into the main hanger and ran into Patch, who was holding a large pot of coffee. The near boiling coffee covered Cad's hood, who yelped in shock and pain. Patch quickly grabbed a towel and started to mop the burning coffee off Cad's hood. "Are you alright?" She asked.

He nodded his hood and sneezed the remaining liquid off. Patch continued to clean his hood in quite a broody hen fashion. "Is your hood badly burned?" She asked once most of the mess was gone.

"No. I don't think so. But thanks for cleaning that off though."

"Well at least most of the pink is off your hood. The coffee must have loosened the retardant slime a bit."

She was about to continue her brooding when Blade slammed open the door. The worried look on his face gave Cad a bad feeling that only got compounded when he was asked to go outside. He stood outside for sometime listening to the eery silence broken only by small clanks from the repair hanger and the soft noises of the fuel tuck refilling the fuel tanks by the runway. After what seemed like hours to Cad, Blade and Patch emerged from the hanger. Patch rushed up to her tower and immediately started a radio transmission to Cabbie. Blade rolled over to Cad and gave him a hard stare, "Do you you have your radio on?"

"Um... not that I think? No. No it's not on." Cad replied under the hard stare.

"Well it should be. Keep your field radio chanel on when ever we go out to a fire. Then next time this kind of thing won't happen."

Cad gave him a puzzled glance," What kind of thing?"

"Oh right you haven't heard yet!" Blade sighed, "Out on the line Windlifter was preparing to collect water off the lake when his engine cut out and he had to make an emergency landing. Landing he hit a small tree that wedged it self between his head and tank. Once the Jumpers got to him, they unstuck most of the tree and he was able to restart his engine and take off. He wanted to stay out there and continue the fight but I forced him back here. When I got here Maru had already herded him to the repair bay and started the, "how on earth did this happen" questioning. After you got hit by the wrench and fled, Maru ascertained the problem to be Windy's fuel pump. He has had problems with it off and on since I've known him. But, I guess this is it coming to a head. Sorry Cad, I'm rambling. Back to the point. We've discovered that Maru's radio was un-plugged so he didn't get any of the radio transmissions concerning the incident. This is very alarming because, that radio should never be off let alone unplugged, when we are out on a line. If you ever see anyone tampering with a radio, stop them and tell me emedeately."

Blade's monologue was cut short when Maru rushed over and practically shouted at Blade, "Were in tarnation is Cabbie!"

"He was out managing the line in my stead." Was the confused answer.

"Well I need him back here ASAP. Windlifter is gonna need a new fuel pump and fast!" Shouted the mechanic over his trunk as he drove back to the repair hanger.

Blade made to follow him but stopped when the fuel delivery truck rolled up to him and handed him a receipt. Blade glanced at it abstractly and passed it to Cad. "Take this to my hanger, wouldya?"

"Sure thing," Cad half mumbled as he sped off.

Opening the hanger's door he almost gagged, the sent of helicopter was everywhere. On top of that the floor was still covered in paper work. In fact the one spot Cad saw that was clean seemed to be a tiny corner of the bed. Carefully dodging the piles Cad made his way to the spring of the mess. The ever notorious desk! He carefully placed the little slip on the leaning tower, which swayed dangerously. Cad started to back away from the huge pile when... Crash Thump Swoosh! The entire pile on the desk fell absolutely everywhere.

Cad could have killed himself in that moment. The look of shock and horror that his face adopted was made for the record books. He carefully started picking up what he had assumed had been on the desk previously.

The roar of Cabbie's engines brought him back from the lands of Paperworkia. He soon finished putting the stacks back and dodged around the remaining piles to exit the hanger. Rolling down the ramp he saw Cabbie hooked to the fuel tanks, refueling. Cad rolled over to him. Cabbie eyed Cad's pinkness as he rolled up and chuffed," you look good in pink."

Cad glared at him and looked away. He enjoying the large planes presence but hated that vehicles kept pointing out that he was dyed hot pink.

When Cabbie was done re-fueling he rolled off toward Maru's repair bay. Cad almost followed but was distracted by seeing the fuel delivery truck loitering behind the main hanger. What was he doing back there? Cad snuck up to him, but accidentally rolled over a can in the gloom next to the hanger, which alerted the truck to someone's presents. Seeing Cad the truck darted out from behind the hanger and speed off the base and down the mountain. Cad began to follow him and rushed out from behind the hanger too. But his pursuit was halted by Cabbie, taxiing by spooling up his engines. Cad jumped back, narrowly avoiding Cabbie's wing. Cabbie shouted something at him but it was lost in the engine noise. Cad figured that it was some sort of rebuff for nearly hitting him and stayed still until the big plane had passed.

Cad again began to speed off after the fuel truck once Cabbie was past but halted when he heard a terrible gagging and coughing behind him. He hastily glanced in his rear view mirrors and slammed on his breaks. To his shock he saw Cabbie gagging and rolling backward because of wracking coughs. Cad did a one-eighty and sped toward Cabbie shouting, "Maru, come quick!"

* * *

Patch sat in her tower mentally cursing the parts supplier's terrible customer no service, when she witnessed Cabbie begin to spool up his engines for take off and instead collapse into a mad coughing fit. Her situation only worsened when a radio transmission came in. "This is November Brovo Papa niner four won zero heavy, requesting to land at Piston Peak Air Attack." Patch couldn't believe the timing, this was just great. Just great...not.

* * *

Windlifter was sitting in the shade of the repair hanger's bay feeling quite useless all chocked down, when Cad rushed in."Windlifter! Where is that part list?"Cad shouted.

"Right there."Windlifter responded while pointing to a list on a workbench." Are you going to pick it up?"

"Yeah, Cabbie was originally gonna, but since he is having engine issues Maru told me to. I have a GPS so finding it should be easy enough." Cad explained.

Maru's panicked shout of, "Cad yet out here!"Called Cad away from Windlifter, who bowed his head in a silent good bye. Cad pulled up next to Maru, "Go dip this in the new fuel in the tanks. Let it sit for a moment and bring it to me. Don't shake it!" Maru hastily order as he handed Cad the long handled dipped from earlier.

Taking the dipper in his mouth Cad drove up onto the newly refilled tank. Pulling the lid off he breathed in a sent of pure heaven. Not forgetting his mission he dipped the dipper down into the darkness and pulled up a cup full of water. He looked at it shocked. Even sticking a wheel in and licking it to make sure his eyes didn't received him. Not bothering to let the sample sit he rushed down the ramp carefully carrying the sample on his hood.

"I new it!" Maru frowned, "It's all water." He glanced at Cad from on top of the fuel tanks, where he was perched re-sampling the fuel.

Cad gulped, "Before Cabbie umm... had this err... incident I saw the fuel truck sneaking around behind the main hanger. I thought he was acting suspicious, so I tried to chase him, but then this happened." Cad said pointing to Cabbie with his nose.

"Great!" Maru half groaned half swore. "Well we still need that part though so see you in about five hours."

Cad nodded and started to roll toward the bases drive. As he began to descend down the mountain road he absently glanced in his rear view mirrors. Looking at the last view of the base he saw a very green Cabbie. He hastily looked away in order to not see the disgusting spectacle that surely followed.

* * *

The sun was well below the horizon, when Cad returned exhausted to the base. To his surprise he saw a large C130 parked just outside of the main hanger conversing with someone inside. Rolling over to the repair bay Cad greeted Windlifter and Maru, "Hey, I'm back. Windlifter I've got your part."

Maru harrumfed and rolled around to Cad's trunk and removed a box after Cad opened his hatch. While Maru unpacked the fuel pump Cad asked, "So what ever happened with the fuel and the truck?"

"Harmf thats a good one," Maru half laughed. "So soon as you left, Cabbie here, decided to purge himself of the water. I was to busy to think about fuel trucks for sometime, all with cleaning that up and the arrival of Benjamin. What a hoot that was. Cabbie, who had been looking a little under the weather since his tanks auto cleaned, perked right up. I guest the sight of another 'large bird' lifted his spirits. Once those two got to talking... Wind sit still wouldga! It's only a sedative, stop actin' like it's a shot." The whole time Maru had talked he had unpackaged the part and prepared a syringe full of a sedative, which he was about to dump down Windlifter's tank.

After Windlifter finished his squirming and Maru got the sedative in his tank he finished the story. "Once aid got here, namely five new Jumpers, the fire was easily contained and Blade decided to leave the Jumpers out, to stir on it till mornin'. When he touched down here the fun started. So he goes to his hanger and gets on the phone with Dinico. That only lasted a minute, 'cause as he was getting really riled up at the gas consultant a fuel truck drives up. Blade puts him on hold and comes out to chew the fuel truck out for lousy fuel. But then I notice that the tuck isn't the same truck. I tell Blade and he just murders the poor guy. Right now he's still in his hanger, probably chewing Dinico again."

Cad nodded, "I guess then the whole thing will be cleared up soon?"

"Mmhhmm... Hope so." Maru agreed times deep in Windlifter's fuel tank.

Leaving Maru to work on the slumbering helicopter, Cad rolled toward the Main Hanger. Passing Blade's hanger, he heard loud rises and falls of volume and hurried past. Approaching the hanger Cad started to whistle. The C130 heard and started to back out of the door to let Cad in. The big plane smiled, "So what's your name? Wait wait wait let me guess."

Cad raised his eyebrows and looked at the plane knowing he would never get it. No one ever did."Is it Herbert?" The plane asked.

Inside the hanger Cabbie's chuckle sounded, "Want a hint Benjamin?"

"No, no I'll get it."Cad could just see how this would go, then oh no!

"Benjamin I am going to help you! Think of names starting with -p-."

A sudden thought raced across the C130's windscreen, "No it CAN'T be! Is it Pinky?"

Cabbies, "yup." Was lost on Cad as he sprinted into the woods, desperate to get away from this further embarrassment.

Cad stayed in the woods for sometime peacefully enjoying the scenery and woodland sounds, until Maru came and rounded him up for dinner. Fortunately for Cad, he easily avoided any more teasing that night because Benjamin was enthralled by Maru the Exceptional Duct Tape Master. Later, Cad quietly went to the jumper hanger and flopped down on his sleeping mat. Relishing its softness, he was soon sound asleep.


	9. Chapter 9 the pranks begin

Cad trouble 9

It look the Smokejumpers longer than they expected to extinguish the last of the fire, so it was well into the evening the next day when they approached the base. Dynamite radioed to Blade requesting to stay in the forest overnight in order to to enact the beginning of Blade's prank scheme. "Over and out, Chief, seeya in the morning." She drawled as she hung up with Blade after getting the affirmative.

Pinecone look at her, "So who goes first?"

Dynamite squinted in though, "hmmm... I guess you and Blackout should go. Jest cause you asked first."

"Great!" Pinecone smirked and laughed.

Her and Blackout soon formed a huddle at the back of the column. In front of them Momo, the only female in the new Jumpers asked,"Dynamite, what is this about pranks?"

Dynamite smirked,"So, a few weeks back we got a knew support vehicle. This would have been fine except he was formerly the super intendant of the park. And let me say this, I got here the year before he did and man did he mess with us! As super intendant he cut our funding by eighty percent! The base was literally held together with baling wire and tons of duct tape. When his incompetence and mis-management were discovered two years back after half the park burned up and Blade and the trainee Dusty crashed he, got booted out and sent to death valley. Now he's back and Blade's tryin' ta prank him out. That's our job!"

Momo smiled evilly,"so can we prank him too?"

"No way!" Dynamite hurriedly added,"you might be certified, and you might be on the team but on this base." She stamped her tire,"you must join the _"The Order"_ first."

"What's _"The Order"_ ?" Momo asked puzzled.

"It is a bond of brotherhood and devotion. You must prove yourself in order to join. Though you guys will pre-qualify if you hit it off well with Uncle." Dynamite reverently said.

Momo couldn't believe it but played along,"Who's Uncle?"

Dynamite gave her a glare,"His name is to you, until your in _"The Order"._ "

Momo nodded and speed up to her former captain,"Hey Joe-Joe, did you hear about this whole _"Order"_ business?"

"Yeah Dyna told me about it earlier out in the field."He laughed. "It seems to be this bases little rite."

Momo shrugged and rolled along expectantly waiting for the pranks to start.

The base was silent as the Jumpers crept on to the base. Pinecone directed everyone behind the Smokejumper's hanger while she crept around to the front smiling evilly.

* * *

That afternoon, Blade had given Cad some classroom instruction. Now hours latter he was still pouring over his book, when he heard a faint scuffling behind the hanger. At first he ignored it. But then he remembered the bear!

 _Oh no,_ he thought _, not again. Maybe if it is a bear and I drop the dumpster lid it will run away?! Good that's what I'm gonna do._

Cad stuck his front end out of the hanger, and peered out into the blackness. Failing to see anything, because Cabbie's night light was out, he hesitantly rolled out. Looking both ways he cautiously made his way to the dumpster. Gently flipping the lid back, he rushed around and caught the lid before it slammed on the dumpster's back side. He waited to hear more noises, before throwing the lid forward with all his might. After hearing a bunch of scuffling reseeding into the woods, Cad went to return to his studies. About to enter the hanger, he heard a loud crash in the main hanger. Gulping at the prospect of another all night clean up, he rushed into the jumper hanger and grabbed a large broom.

* * *

After the lid slammed on the dumpster, Pinecone rushed around to the back of the hanger. Her and Blackout herded the group into the main hanger though the side entrance. As they entered the dark hanger, Joe-Joe, who as bringing up the rear, knocked over a broom. The broom smacked into a large sack of flour that happened to be precariously perched on the shelf above. The flour went all over Joe-Joe. The boom also sent numerous other things sailing off the shelf, all of which clattered to the ground.

Pinecone and Blackout looked at each other. "I think we've given away our position."Pinecone whispered to Blackout.

He nodded and directed everyone to follow him. He led them into Windlifter's office and out though it's private door, into freedom. Making a bee line for Cabbie's hanger they crept along hugging the treeline.

* * *

After hearing the crash in the main hanger, Cad went to find Windlifter. At the heli's door, Cad hammered on the knocker. He waited a moment, but receiving no answer he opened the door and drove in. He came face to face with a giant bear. His scream could have rivalled Avalanche's.

* * *

Cabbie and Benjamin had gotten a late start on going to bed. Cabbie had turned in not an hour before, but none the less he was still deeply in thralled in a dream. Fate had decreed relived life experiences for his midnight visions this night, and re-loosing a jumper seemed just right to those three spirits demented minds. Cabbie was only loosened from there fearful grasp by Cad's scream. Opening his eyes he came face to face with the ghost of the jumper from his dreams.

* * *

Following the died silent jumper column around the base, Joe-Joe attempted to shake some of the flour off himself. All his efforts failed. In fact it even made him more covered in flour. He dared not say anything, and instead looked forward to a good bath latter.

At Cabbie's hanger, Blackout crept inside first. He was forced to dodge around piles of magazines and the occasional newspaper not to mention a very sharp props and three tails. Next went Drip, but passing a particular newspaper stack he grabbed the top one and carried it with him as a prank for the old plane. His theft almost blew the entire operations cover when the stolen paper bushed Cabbie's prop. Props are always sensitive spots but a light brush with the right material can cause a inadvertent spin, which would be deadly to what ever is underneath. Drip was lucky, Cabbie only jittered and scooted over a bit. Everyone sighed with relief when Cabbie settled down again and mumbled something.

Once everyone else was in, when Joe-Joe started his treck into the hanger. But stopped when he and everyone else heard a shriek of pure terror come from Windlifter's hanger. Cabbie and Benjamin started awake. Both tried to move around but found themselves surrounded by Jumpers. In an attempt to help, flour covered Joe-Joe rushed back as Cabbie shook.

Cabbie's eyes flew open. He stared at Joe-Joe a long moment,"who are you?" Cabbie asked in a trembling voice

Behind him all the old jumpers looked at each other. This never happened! Cabbie always was brave even in the face of a roaring fire. At best this thing could have been seen as a home invasion not anything worse. Not a death threat or so thing like it.

The white jumper replied,"my name's Joe-Joe."

"Why are you here?"Cabbie asked, mentally going over the reasons a ghost would want to haunt him.

"Ummm... Because I want to be here... Ahhh." Joe-Joe jumped back and rolled behind a large barrel.

Cabbie charged out the door when he heard "live here", he wasn't gonna be stuck living with some ghost. Outside the door Cabbie turned around to get a better look at his supposed ghost. When he saw nothing in a split second glance, he figured that the ghost had vaporize itself. This was plenty enough to send him barreling down the runway and into the sky.

Rolling out of the hanger Dynamite looked at Avalanche, who was beside her," ut oh."

* * *

Blade had needed to talk to Windlifter since the beginning of the season, but he had procrastinated. He had just hoped it would go away. That the tingles in his right rear landing gear, would not spread to his turning flap. And now they had. He had to say something.

As Blade and Windlifter rolled along on the dim woodland path, Blade remembered the first time he had gotten Marek's. He had been ten and to him and Nick his paralysis seemed to be the end of the world. Originally Nick, being Nick, had thought of every imaginable way to make Blade laugh, from airial acrobatics and juggling grapes with his tung to sticking marshmallows to the house maids fat rear and teasing Blades doctor about his lack of a barbecue grill at his house. But when Blade's condition only worsened, Nick became a new helicopter. He became quiet and fearful. With out Blade what would his life be! Nick, who was the definition of brash boyish excitement and energy, became a pious munk crouching at the alter of the Great God. Eventually Blade had recovered and all Nick's piety left with Blades Marek's going into remission.

Blade had been plagued by Marek's for the rest of his life. But never move than a tingle in a rotor or the momentary grounding for a good massage of his tails to get the feeling back. To him and Maru this time it seamed different. No matter how much Maru rubbed Blade still couldn't get his feeling back. The Marek's was forcing him into retirement, but even with that he intended to leave the base fighting it. That is why he needed to talk to Windlifter.

About a quarter of a mile from the base, Blade and Windlifter stopped in a clearing. Blade broke the nights song of sound first,"Wind, I need to tell you something only Maru and I know."

Windlifter looked at Blade quizzically and raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"I have Marek's." Was Blade's depressed answer.

Windlifter nodded and rolled his tung round once before answering,"Hmm... So what are you going to do?"

"I am ... Am... Being forced out of the service. I have tingles and no feeling in my right landing gear or turning flap. If it continues to spread I'll have to leave. There is no real treatment for Marek's it will most likely... kill me."

Windlifter nodded sagely and didn't speak for a long moment,"Well all of us have to move on sometime. I am sorry that you have to, to all of us this place is home but especially to you, Cabbie, and Maru."

Blade nodded and turned away to gaze at the rising moon. Windlifter looked after him and sighed, while he thought of the base without Blade. It would be a very different place but only time would tell.

After long moments of listening to the night noises of the forest Windlifter broke the silents,"When are you expecting to have to leave?"

Blade's rotors stiffed for a moment and dropped as he sighed," I hope not before the end of the season. But I can't rightly say, I hope for longer than a few weeks but that may be wishful thinking. You will be taking over for me either way. I definitely want to get Cad trained for you and all that paper delt with too."

Windlifter tried to make light of the moment," At least if you don't get that far it will make a nice promotion gift."

Blade snorted," good one Wind... what was that?"

Both helicopters stood silent as a shriek of pure terror echoed around the park. Looking at each other they said in unison,"Ut oh! That came from the base didn't it? Let's go!"

They both streaked down the path and into the clear of the base, while Cabbie rush over overhead.

It took the Blade and Windlifter a moment to calm the jumpers and Benjamin down not to mention a very spooked Dipper, who at first thought Joe-Joe was a legitimate ghost out to get Cabbie. Once all the group were calmed down the truth came out. One, Joe-Joe was not a ghost. But was instead, the son of a former Piston Peak smokejumper, who had died in a parachute failure Two, the bear in Windlifter's hanger was dead and had been stuffed eons ago by Windlifter's eccentric uncle Snorting Bull. Three, the noises in the woods had been Blade and Windlifter out on their midnight stroll.

After their little meeting, Blade and Maru set off the find Cabbie. It wasn't hard because he called into the tower to say he had landed at the lodge. Landing on one of the Lodge's helipads Blade let Maru out and they both drove over to were Cabbie was parked on the apron.

"Hey there Cabbie what are you going here?"Maru asked.

"Getting away from a mental issue." Cabbie muttered half self-chidingly.

Maru gazed at him, his eyes saying get over it,"When you coming back?"

"Once you hire an extortionist!" Was the firm answer.

Blade sighed seeing this was going no were fast," Cabbie, I have to tell you something. The jumper you saw is no ghost, he's Benjamin's jumper captain."

Cabbie snorted,"Then how come he was in my dreams not moments before, white, and could telepathically disappear into thin air?"

Blade closed his eyes in an attempt to gain a moment to think, then it came to him."You said that the jumper 'ghost' was in your dream, what was the jumper's name in your dream."

Cabbie squinted,"Joice-Joseph, you remember, the one that always stole my paper and messed with my radio. Humph... remember the time he prank called Lenny and said Carl had flown into a mountain."

Blade sure remembered that. It had been a slow summer that year, at least for Joice-Joseph's liking, and on one particular day after several rounds of 'move Cabbie's stuff enough to bother him but not enough to get in trouble' he had gotten board. At the same time, he had sprained an axle. All ramp construction and tomfoolery on fore mentioned ramps being strictly illegal. Penalty- wrench to the noggin at the tines of a vengeful Maru. So, Joice-Joseph decided to call home to see if anything interesting was up there. At the phone, he discovered a small slip of paper with Lenny scrawled across the top in Cabbie's writing. He quickly copied it down and bolted from the hanger.

Hours latter, after the surprise visit of Cabbie's adult nephew turned former adopted son, Joice-Joseph put his plan into action. The entire visit Carl had flirted with Dipper, who was on her first season, the entire base had gotten this under their platting. After his departure Cabbie had sighed and made some comment about how Carl should go fly into a mountain for all he was worth. Picking up the phone, Joice-Joseph had called Lenny, who was confined to a bone yard just north of Radiator Springs. He told her that he was a co-worker of Cabbie's, and had very sad news for her. After reassuring her that nothing had happened to Cabbie, he spun a great yarn how Carl flew right into a cliff and was now confirmed dead. What terribly sad new. Lenny demanded to speak with Cabbie. But instead of putting Cabbie on Joice-Joseph, who could impersonate everyone on base, impersonated Cabbie with a soar throat. This successfully fooled Lenny until a day later when Cabbie called and she asked about Carl's funeral arrangements. Needless to say, Cabbie lightly grilled Joice-Joseph only because he himself had not thought of the plan earlier.

"Yes, I sure do." Blade replied,"but the only thing is that Joe-Joe is Joice-Joseph's son not his ghost. They go by the same nickname though."

Cabbie cocked a look at Blade,"really? Even if your right, I still think Wind should make sure he can't telepathically vanish."

Maru seized the moment to pop the question," so are you coming back now?"

"No, but I will in the morning." Cabbie stated firmly.

After a little bit Blade and Maru returned to the Base and everyone settled down for the night. In the morning, Cad awoke to find his book on the pillow next to him with a large note on it. The note said, P.V.O.B team has struck! Got yah. Cad couldn't believe it. The bear noises had not been a figment of his imagination, but instead a cover to guile him into being pranked.

He would get his revenge!


	10. Chapter 10 all the emotions

Cad Trouble 10

Cad rolled over restlessly on his sleeping mat and glanced at the clock hung on the opposite wall. 0400, to early for his likings, but he was wide awake. That infernal racket made by Joe-Joe and Dynamite's combined snores didn't help either. Cad sighed and slammed a pillow on his cabin. No good, he was awake. Putting the pillow back he retrieved his book, which had fallen off the mat when he grabbed the pillow. On the cover he found a note. What on earth was the P.V.O.B. team? Probably something to do with the jumpers. Shrugging the note off, Cad flipped the book onto his hood. Moving a sleeping Drip out of the doorway, Cad drove out of the hanger's open door.

Cad looked around the base. Blade was asleep on the overlook, Windlifter next to him. They were actually very cute all floppy rotored and drooling. Even in his few weeks at the base, Cad had caught Blade sleeping on the overlook many times but never Windlifter. He had guessed it was some sacred spot reserved only for Blade, this was new. Cabbie and Benjamin were snuggled down in their hanger. Only Patch, who was up in her tower with all the lights on, seemed to be up. Cad went into the main hanger and flopped on the couch. Soon he was enthralled in his book and didn't notice the stream of activity that passed his trunk.

Maru came in around five and put the coffee on. Blade followed soon after baring a pile of paper work. He snagged a cup of Maru's coffee a few minutes later and was gone off on petrol. Maru swept up the flour tracks and left Cad alone with the coffee. In due course the heavies tramped in, took their coffees and left. Off to listen to Cabbie's radio's weather forecast even though either one of them could have given one just as accurate and way more entertaining. Then came Trouble. Drip rolled in on Cad reading and since he had nothing better to do, decided to unleash this Cad maddening prank.

Drip lazily rolled over to the coffee machine and poured himself a large cup. He sipped thoughtfully then an idea popped into his head. This was going to be good.

A few hours latter, it was training time. The whole base participate in the first part, which happened on the base, everyone hit the deck and did what seemed like thousands of wheel push ups and crunches. Afterward the jumpers split off from the group taking off and headed into the woods. Dynamite took the lead but was closely followed by Joe-Joe and Cad. Scaling a drop off in order to jump off of it Drip silently caught up with Cad. At the top Dynamite jumped off to the west, Joe-Joe follow her. Cad was up next. When he went to jump off he felt himself get pushed. Soon he was plummeting down the south face and onto a bloated dead opossum. Cad grimaced as he impacted. Dead opossum juice covered his under carriage and a horrible stink rose up the drop off. The whole rest of the time Cad got an excellent course in staying pushed off of things became a norm soon for him as it was part of training. Still that opossum had had a great idea of were to just suddenly die at. Yeah right. Cad was catching on and quick. There would be retaliation.

* * *

That night Avalanche had dawn cooking duty. Cad had grimaced but still eaten the fire hot chili. The latter offered ice cream with chocolate pieces went over much better. Everyone was enjoying the cooler mouth temperatures when Cads middle gurgled. All the jumpers snickered. After another gurgle Cad b-lined the bathroom.

Once Cad fled, Blade turned and looked at the jumpers, who squirmed under his gazes,"Who's responsible for the opossum juice."

Drip slowly and cockily raised his blade.

"Good job,"Blade replied running his gaze over everyone,"if I might ask though, who's idea the was the coco lax?"

Dynamite smiled and did a mock solute,"it was all my genius chief."

Blade grinned sagely and finish his ice cream.

An hour or so later Cad emerged from his indesposal , to a completely empty hanger. What luck he thought. Going over to the trash can he looked inside it and sure enough there was a coco-lax bar rapper sitting under a bean can. He rinsed his the melted ice cream down the drain and exited the hanger turning off the light. It then occurred to him that he hadn't seen his book since the morning. After searching the base high and low Cad gave up and went to sit with the jumpers in Cabbie and Benjamin's hanger. Cabbie and Benjamin were having a not so friendly debate about if it was proper for a respectable cargo plane to have vacuumed carpet in their bay.

Cabbie said,"No, no respectable cargo plane every did."

Benjamin said,"but I have carpet and I like it to be cleanly vacuumed and I'm respectable!"

The debate went on for sometime until the conclusion was reached that Cabbie should try being vacuumed once and that Benjamin's carpet might not be practical. A date of the next morning was set for the test vacuuming. The jumpers soon left once the debate ended. Cad had drifted out before and laid his prank. When the tired vehicles lay down to sleep they found the prank. Drip was first. Their beds were full of ice cubes. Cad had magically disappeared just when the ice was discovered, so the jumper's revenge was waiting on him in his sleeping mat. Latter after hiding out with Benjamin, Cad went to lay down only to find a rubber snake in his bed. What to do with this? Idea: hang it over Pinecone as retaliation for stealing his book continuously. He'd caught her doing that! But not anyone else, that is as of yet ... The observations would continue.

In the morning the base got a snake over Pinecone's head wake-up call. Luckily Blade was already out on patrol and the coffee started or some heads would have been rolling. After breakfast, morning chores, and training, the base settled down to watch the vacuuming. Benjamin, Cabbie and Maru all gathered in front of the repair hanger with the jumper's and Dipper scattered around, Blade and Windlifter perched on Blade's hanger's porch with a big pile of paper work each.

Dynamite yawned,"Benjamin, what is the blindfold for?"

Cabbie jumped,"blindfold! What's that for?"

"Oh it doesn't let you see the cleaner coming."Benjamin simply replied.

Cabbie raised his eyebrows in a question but was interrupted,"WHY WOULD OUR UNCLE BE SCARED OF A VACUUM? HE'S THE BRAVEST C119 EVER!" Shouted Avalanche. Benjamin went to answer but Cabbie jumped as a rooooooooomvoom echoed out of Cabbie's bay. Maru had started the vacuuming. Cabbie's face contorted into a series of smiles, grimaced , and awkward looks, this caused great merriment on the porch.

Blade couldn't help himself,"Cabbie haha, your face haha. Does it tickle hahaha or is the noise scary?"

Cabbie tried to growl through a choked giggle but failed miserably and everyone ended up laughing their heads off. Even Windlifter, who's deep bellow echoed around on the canyon walls.

Cabbie was throughly terrorized when the vacuuming finished and was in a funk all the rest of the day. Everywhere he went he would growl not so softly at Benjamin or a passing jumper. Once he even tried to nip at Benjamin's tail after he had dared to mention that you just had to get used to it. Cabbie didn't think so!

A week after Cabbie was vacuumed, Cad snuck out after the jumpers one night. Because the moon was new, darkness hung everywhere. Following the five old jumpers he crawled along through the underbrush. Slowing the five stopped in a small clearing, as Cad tried to sneak in closer.

"So Pine and Blackout and you Drip have gone and I've gone. So that only leaves you 'Lanche, right?"

"RIGHT!"

"Ssshhhh!"

"SORRY!"

"Ssshhhh... Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A rustle."

"No!"

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!"

Cad stood stalk still and listened with the jumpers, figuring he had actually made the noise. In a moment there came another noise, it was the sound of a poorly placed wheel. Cad looked in his rear view mirrors to see Maru bumbling along right toward him. In a panic, Cad sank to the leaf loam and hurried out of Maru's path. After what seemed like hours of crawling Cad entered the training clearing. On the known trail, he made good time back to the the base. He silently slid into the jumper hanger lay down, faking sleep until the others arrived not long after.

In the middle of the night, Dynamite got up and rolled over to Cad's mat. Taking a marker in her mouth she went to write on his hood. Stopping just millimeters away she held the marker poised and ready. But something in her made her stop. She couldn't do it. She couldn't write a nasty thing on this SUV that had proven to her that he had changed. Changed for others good. But she couldn't write a nice thing ether or she'd get mocked and stared back at. What to do? Taking a lipstick from her small makeup bag she drew a huge mouth on Cad but nothing else.

Laying down she though to herself, why couldn't I do it? Why?

Then a terrible thought came to her, no, no it can't be. I can't like him in the least he... he... did all those things to the base, to my people. No. I just can't.

With that she rolled over a tried to sleep.

A few days later Cad had completed all the training Blade could give him and was leaving the base for three weeks. He was headed for a neighboring base that actually had a jumping tower. Blade had instructed him in first aid and general wild land fire fighting and Cad had passed all fitness standards this was one of the last steps. Cad hoped to soon be on the ground helping out nad not only stuck on the base doing very useful but boring chores.

As the base disappeared behind him he remembered all the days that had passed since he had been super intendant of this park. All the years of re-building the lodge on the bases stolen money had not given him as good a feeling as giving back to the ones he'd hurt. The two years in death valley had changed him to were he would now never consider participating in that type money dealings but instead wanted work hard and give back. Maybe in a year or two he'd look back and see all the hazing and following around as an outsider, be nothing but a distant memory fading into all the others. Who knows?

Three weeks later Blade was doing paper work in his hanger. The fans surrounding him buzzed softly as they continually threatened to blow all his paper work to the floor. One rather successful breeze did knock some of it off. Blade growled as he reached for it with his mouth stick. It was an application. Blade stopped for a moment, sure enough it was Cad applying not only to train but to work. Hmmm. Under it Blade found a certification paper.

Blade rolled to his door and called to Windlifter, who was lifting his logs out of boredom." Hey Wind come over hear."

The Sikorsky rolled up and questioned with his eyes. Blade showed him the papers. Windlifter asked,"you taking him?"

Blade nodded back. "Good choice, you are at last trying to work with the wolf and not with the coyote."Windlifter replied

Blade pitied the bases employees of next the year when he retired and got left with this wolf and coyote nonsense. Oh brother!

When Cad returned to the base the following week he was greeted as a team member. This surprised Cad because it was the opposite of what he expected. He'd expected cold glances at best, not the loud greetings of hello from the jumpers and all the other arial firefighters. Blade rolled over to Cad after the jumpers finished,"Welcome to the team Spinner."

Cad's heart swelled with happiness as he heard this. Maybe all the drama was behind him. Maybe he could get down to businesses. He sure hoped so!


	11. Chapter 11 join the order

Cad Trouble 11

The first one's name was Durin.

His friend was Tom.

Tom, great and manly.

Durin, small and wild.

Durin, great one of jumpers.

Born of first people's and rancher's stalk.

A dynamic dynamo thus forged, before the Great War.

In the dust he trudged west, found the Peak, and fell for it.

Joining the conservationists, he married his love.

A love not of flesh but rock.

The great one was forged.

Dust, poverty, loneliness, all young Tom's pals.

In listed to plant trees, hauled the saplings for fuel.

The second war removed him, removed him from this peace.

Drafted to kill not heal, loath Uncle Sam Tom did.

Duddly's raid a pain on his brow.

Two men. Just two.

Durin had found his love.

Tom, the thing he hated

United by chance, united to save life.

Both the Peak and it's visitors lives to save.

Great things they stared down,

From bears to wild fires.

Protecting the Peak was vital.

A world of atom bombs,

Needs lovely open spaces even more.

Durin collected the first group

The first on the peak.

Brave souls of sare down fire.

Jumping with Durin from Tom,

Down into fire fighting history.

So it went on for seasons.

Summer, fire containment, tourist protection.

Fall, mud slide rescues, repairs.

Winter, avalanche prevention and tree removal.

Spring, new life to nurture,

A day arose great and terrible.

The sun blackened by smoke,

The ground blackened by fire.

Frighting the monstrous wind,

That terrible wind of the south.

Through the park the fire raged madly.

Durin and his crew flew faithfully in.

Into the midst of the inferno,

For there stranded on a cliff, were three trapped campers.

The fire burned auburn behind the crew.

Tom, good and faithful Tom,

Bore the crew in his bay,

Through smoke and ash he trudged, till at last the chutes blossomed.

Down, down, down, they floated.

Crunch, there tires landed and the mission was on.

Clearing a path to safety, Durin watched the unpredictable wind.

Seeing it change, dred filled him.

In a moment the fire jumped.

Jumped the line of protection,

Over the creek and up the hill, raging toward the campers.

Durin herded his into a over hang by the creek.

The only place of safety.

They sat and waited in the scorching heat.

At last the fire relented.

Out charged Durin. Up the hill to the campers.

The hill had saved the campers for a moment.

Down they went back to the blackline .

In the black they waited.

Long hours passed for the campers,

While the jumpers fought to keep the line.

As the sun dawned the next day, one camper drove over a pothole.

Durin looked over the injury.

Sprained at best, probably broken.

An axel issue was all they needed.

Heading to and unburned meadow Durin had that feeling again.

Tom landed bumpily in the meadow.

The wild wind shifted again.

Load quick two jumpers and all campers.

In they piled, up they soared, off to safety.

Durin and one, Joice-Joseph, remained.

The fire had vicious plans.

Plans to devour and kill.

That is what it did.

Holed up the two took shelter.

The fire burned hot around.

Down in the pit they waited.

Waited ether for death, or Tom's wings of mercy.

A burning tree fell in the hole,

Fell on Durin, burning and crushing life.

Joice-Joseph attempted to save that half-spent life.

One last command.

"Save your self while you still have breath."

One last cry.

Fire consumed the Great one.

He became ash.

The hole remains sacred forever.

It is a grave of memory.

A memorial to the first.

To the first jumper of Piston Peak.

* * *

Cad couldn't sleep. It was his first night back at the base and the air seemed clouded with nervous energy. Even the normally obnoxiously loud snoring Jumpers, Dynamite, Joe-Joe, and Drip, were silent. That last Cad must have dozed off, because just after midnight he startled awake. Opening his eyes he saw all the jumpers gathering around him. Surprisingly all of them were wearing Greek style tunics. "What is going on?" Cad asked.

Dynamite answered,"you are joining the Order to night."

Cad squinted,"The what?"

Dynamite smiled suddenly,"ah, good question, the Order is our bond at this base. It is sacred pact that all our jumpers must swear to. Tonight you will join it before the sun rises. You along with Joe-Joe, Canonball, Coconut, Ricky and Momo. After you join you will be a full fledged Piston Peak Smokejumper... spiel Drip!"

On cue Drip launched into his benefits spiel,"As a Piston Peak Smokejumper, you will receive full medical courtesy of Maru. You will be given full pranking rights, which will pertain only to base members. You will have full domain of the kitchen on KP. You will have the right to call Cabbie, Uncle... huuuhhh... you will get a seasonally assigned bedding location that you can not and will not be defrauded of. You will receive an honorable jumper insignia. On top of all this you will also get a matching toga..."

"IT IS NOT A TOGA! IT IS A ROBE! TOGAS ARE LONG AND NOT TIED ON. DRIP WE HAD THIS CONVERASATION LAST SUMMER HOW COULD YOU FORGET IT THAT FAST!"

"Ssshhhh we don't want the others up!"

"SORRY DYNAMITE."

"Ssshhhh!" Dynamite glared at Avalanche,"come on y'all before before Maru gets up and sees us."

The robe clad vehicles started out into the forest by way of the planes nature path. Half way down the path Dynamite, who was leading the group, turned down a smaller path. Endlessly winding through the trees Cad soon lost his bearings. After a long while the group emerged into a large meadow. On the far side, Dynamite stopped.

"Go to your sides," she called in a smooth chilling voice,"Sons with Michael. Daughters with Amber."

Cad felt pulled toward Drip, who rolled quietly to the north side of a sink hole turned pond. Pinecone and Momo rolled to the south side and parked facing them. Dynamite rolled over to the very edge of the hole and looked down into the brown water. In a chanting voice she breathed, "We have returned. The dream of protecting the wild places and saving life, lives on. A new crew was come. Lets us welcome them to the Order."

With that she bowed her hood and closed her eyes. In a moment she looked up,"Bryan. Son of Paul, son of Charles. Place the eye in the mountain."

Avalanche gently placed a small palate raft on the the water and using a match lit the pyre set on top of it. An orange glow danced across the water, as the young flames licked the air. Cautiously he pushed the palate and it slowly floated out to the middle of the pond. There it stopped, unmoving and brilliant against the dark water.

Once the raft didn't move anymore Dynamite started a song," _Oh misty eye of the mountain below."_

Dynamite let her voice trail off and Pinecone picked up," _Keep careful watch of my brothers souls."_

Pinecone also faded out her voice and Drip picked up," _And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke."_

Then all the old jumpers sang together," _Keep watching over Durin's sons."_

Dynamite dropped a wine bottle out of her bed and poured some in a glass. As she passed the glass around she said,"Drink of this and you bond yourself to these vehicles. You will be saying, I am your sibling. Understand? "

"Yes." Was the murmured reply, everyone feeling the wait of the solidarity in the moment pressing on them.

The glass was passed around and once everyone had drank from it, Dynamite, Pinecone and Drip began again," _If his is to end in fire, then we should all burn together, watch the flames clime higher into the night,"_ Blackout and Avalanche added there voices," _Calling out Father oh, prepare as we will watch the flames burn auburn on the mountainside. And if we should should die tonight, then we should all die together, raise a glass of wine for the last time. Calling out Father, oh, prepare as we will watch the flames auburn on the mountainside. Desolation comes upon the sky."_

As all the voices died out into the night, Dynamite lowered the bottle of wine in the water's surface and closed her eyes. Smiling she said, "After a ceremony you always give the host a thankyou gift." With that she dropped the bottle into the burning pond and lead off," _should my people fall, surely I'll do the same confined in mountain halls they got to close to the flame, calling out Father hold fast as we watch the flames burn auburn on the mountainside. Desolation comes upon the sky."_

By now the entire column had left the meadow and were deep in the woods. Looking back in an opening Cad could just see the pyre. Sitting in the water it really looked like the eye of the mountain. The rising mist even completed the song. THUMP. Cad looked back to were he was going, he had hit the column. Avalanche, who he had hit, just shrugged. Dynamite turned back to face everyone,"Park your selves..."With that she launched into the bases history and the history the base's jumpers.

* * *

Dawn came softly the next morning as the residence went about their routines. Maru was the first to discover the previous nights escapades, finding one of his high grade bottles gone. He rushed into Cabbie's hanger first,"McHale I need a word with you."He almost yelled. Remembering Benjamin, "Alone!" Benjamin scooted out with a shrug.

"What is it Maru?"Cabbie inquired slightly annoyed.

Maru squinted, "You wouldn't happen to know the were abouts of one of my finer drinks? Would you?"

"No not at all. I haven't touched the stuff all season." Cabbie smiled happily,"I'm saving myself for a week after the season."

Maru rolled his eyes and mumbled,"Love bird."As he drove out.

Next he went to see another usual suspect. Dipper. He stopped at her door, when he heard loud laughter billowing out he stopped to listen. She was talking with someone on the phone.

"That is so exciting... wait what? Really! That sounds fun! Hey and we can have another date!... yeah fireworks, you, me, and a big bowl of ice cream!"

Maru sighed. Only one plane could get her that exited, Dusty Crophopper. He was a nice guy alright but Maru doubted if he knew what he was getting into. They had gotten together the year after Dusty was certified, and since then the two had kept up. Who knows, maybe in a bit the two might tie the knot?

Quietly rolling Dipper's door open, he looked inside. No bottle to be seen anywhere. Hmmmm. She usually wasn't very good about hiding evidence of this sort. Dismissing her as a culprit her shut the hanger's door.

With Dipper and Cabbie cleared that only left two suspects. These two were quite tricky though.

Cad and the other jumpers were all being schooled in ramp trajectory physics by Ricky, when Cabbie's shadow fell across the hanger floor. All twenty-two eyes looked up into the C-119's frowning face. The big plane spoke spookingly low,"Pinecone, can I have a word with you?"

She gulped and followed him out of the hanger. Cabbie rolled with her to his netting. Under the netting, Pinecone found herself pinned against the hanger wall with a stern C119 parked a little close for comfort. Looking her straight in the eye Cabbie asked,"Would you happen to know were one of Maru's high grades could had disappeared too?"

Under the hard stare of the C119 she soon buckled,"We know were it went. But... well... we... ah... can't really tell you were it is at. But so you know we only drank like a third of it so no one got drunk and there weren't any hammock incidences..."

Cabbie cut her off,"So you drank it? But you can't tell me were its remainder is. Interesting." He paused a moment,"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Cad would it?"

"Wellllllllllll..."Cabbie glared at her,"Yeah kind of." She shrugged.

Cabbie blinked twice as he waited for her to explain.

"He and the other newbies had to be added and so that's what we needed the wine for."She blinked back.

Cabbie cocked a brow,"Added to what?"

"Added to nothing I can tell YOU about! Get off the case please." She smiled.

Cabbie was about to interrogate her more when a large rock hit him in the tail. Wincing he flipped aggressively around and growled. Pinecone took her chance and fled the seen.

* * *

The call came in around nine, the base was emptied by the quarter and by three that afternoon Cad got his virgin call. The fire had spread from a house into the woods and though the edge of another municipality. It looked like this was becoming a small campaign fire and Blade desperately hoped that it wouldn't reach the park. He surely didn't want an other 2014, with a full evacuation and half the park in ashes. Oh no!

Cad speedily suited up and when Cabbie landed, rolled in backwards like he had seen the jumpers do many times. Parked in the warm darkness with the roar of Cabbie's engines and the sound of his breathing echoing about, Cad tried to calm his nerves. This was his first jump with this team. No make that, with his team, he though silently.

The ride seemed to last forever and Cad was surprised when Cabbie called out that the drop zone was coming up. When Cabbie popped his hatch, Cad rolled out to look at the drop site. "Looks good Cabbie."He called back.

While the big plane started giving Cad distance readings, Cad breathed through his butterflies. At one hundred yards Cabbie called back,"I still do not understand, why a sensible SUV like you would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?"

The light turned and Cad bailed bellowing back," I don't know ether. But it's AMAZING."

His chutes caught and billowed open behind him. Falling slowly he waited as the ground got closer and closer. He imagined what it must be like for planes, who had perfect control of their flight, and could soar freely all with the ease of nature's design. At last the ground was upon him and he touched down hard. Finding nothing broken, he looked around and found the supplies Benjamin had dropped earlier. Collecting the boxes, he loaded them into his trunk all the while communicating with Dynamite via his radio.

A half hour or so of hiking latter, Cad delivered the supplies to the jumpers base camp. When one or two would trickle in, Cad would supply them with good food and clean oil to drink. In between he helped coordinated the ground attack with the air attack by giving Blade and Tomson, a neighboring chief who was the incident commander, constant ground crew updates. That evening Dynamite posted Cad on his first fire watch. Using a detachable rake, he smothered any embers that dared cross his piece of line.

As the sun rise dawned red and hazy on the third day of the fire, a crew of hotshots arrived to relieve the Piston Peak jumpers of their positions. The PPF crew glared at their replacements but were secretly glad to be going home for two days, if only that. Windlifter picked the jumpers up in two waves, but Cad hiked back to the base. Even hiking he still got in the power washer only fifth. An achievement for a new guy!

Over the next week Cad made several more runs out to the fire to deliver supplies to the hotshots, while the jumpers were deployed to other fires near by. Cad enjoyed every moment. He'd drank fire into his blood all right.

* * *

Authors note: Thankyou all for reading and I really appreciate all your great reviews.


	12. Chapter 12 a flame flickers

Cad Trouble 12

Cad couldn't believe he was doing it. Perching on the end of Cabbie's bay door he thought of everything that could go wrong. One, death by parachute failure. Two, death by smacking a ramp upon landing. Three, mutilation by not sticking the landing and being run over by Avalanche. Four, death or serious injury by not jumping on time and being attacked by an angry Dynamite afterward. Five, death by... "Cad jump!"Dynamite shouted. Cad didn't have time to not move because Dynamite shoved him out. Then he was free falling. Terror griping him... BEEP, BEEP BEEP,BEEP.

Cads eyes snapped open and he was greeted with the warm darkness of Cabbies bay.

"Hey sorry about that," the old plane said, "that was just my stop watch beeping nothing to be concerned about."

"YOU HAD US SCARED THERE WITH YOUR BEEPING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SECRETLY PACKING A TIME BOMB OR SOMETHING OF THE SORT!"Avalanche shouted behind Cad.

"No, I gave that up years ago kid."Cabbie laughed.

Blackout who was in front of Cad snorted, "Who's to say you wouldn't come out of retirement? You threatened to do that if Hillary Camry got elected."

"HE'S RIGHT!"Avalanche shouted.

Cad shook his head, not politics in the bay again! Last time the election had come up Cabbie had started playing sound bites off his favorite conservative talk shows and then commented about his opinion over the blaring radio. That had been bad. The only thing that was worse was when Blade, an adamant Bernie Fenders supporter, and Dynamite, a Hillary Camry enthusiast, and Cabbie, a Trumper, all went at it over the radio on a group grocery run. The debate had lasted until they touched down at the Peak again. Windlifter, who was on dinner duty, had threatened to feed them boiled spinach for a week if they weren't quite. That shut everyone really quickly.

The conversation continued around Cad, who ignored it, until they touched down. Grateful to be out of the bay, Cad rolled down Cabbie's door and out into the light of the setting sun. Looking around he saw a teeny little town packed with way to many small planes, agriculture vehicles, ruff looking cars, and grinning forklifts. What a place for an air show. The group soon found most of the other base members in a propeller and engine shaped restaurant called the Fill and Fly. Cad ordered an oil. He was enjoying it under one prop shaped awning, when Mayday came over.

"High ya Cad, how's it been going with you? I haven't heard from ya since all your jumper training finished."Mayday called happily.

Cad looked up,"Good to see you Mayday, it's been...interesting I might say. I got my first call a day or so after I called you. There is nothing like the excitement of bailing out into to the open nothingness of space and seeing a huge fire off in the distance. It's a sight."

"I bet it is. Must be like going out on a first call. Why do you say interesting though?"Mayday asked cocking a brow.

Cad blushed under his red and white paint,"I have learned WAY to much about some of these vehicles."

Mayday grinned,"That so, well it's all par for the territory. Wait until you have to rescue someone by their... Hi ya Blade where'd you come from? Come to say hi?"

Cad breathed a sigh of relief. He was not in the mood for vulgar rescue stories. Pleases no. Not now, and hopefully never! He hoped to never experience it let alone have to hear about it.

Managing to stay out of the way Cad spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around looking at the Corn Festavel's many booths until nearly sun down. Even stopping at a breaded corn cob on a stick stand and buying two cobs and a fried pickle with mustard. He wasn't to sure about the fried pickle but it was really pretty good. As darkness gathered, he ran into Pinecone who was enjoying a fried Oreo.

"You know that is REALLY gross." He fake chided.

She cocked a look of mock disgust at him," You eat fried pickles! That's even worse."

Cad grinned and rolled over to her and parked. "Want to ride the Popcorn, I'll get you a ticket?"

She looked at the ride a moment. Each car sat in their own seat shaped like a piece of popcorn which was then catapulted down a track that spun upside-down and up and down like a mini rollercoaster. "Yeah sure I'll go on it. Only if you get me a ticket though."

Grinning Cad lead her off.

When they got to the head of the line everyone kept staring at them and whispering. Finally the attendant asked the million dollar question. "So is she you girl friend? You know that can't work right?"

Cad and Pinecone both blushed red and shouted,"Ewww what gave you that idea.- Nasty never in a million years."

Benjamin who was standing near by and had heard everything laughed,"You're in denial you two. I have to go tell Cabbie."

"Please no!" The two jumpers pleaded but Benjamin went along anyway.

A few moments after they had been on the ride the other jumpers showed up. Both vehicles cast horrified glances at each other before rushing out into the crowd in opposite directions. Cad didn't stop until he found Windlifter, who due to his no nonsense demeanor seemed to ward off jumper shenanigans.

Cad shadowed Windlifter until dinner time, when the base members all ate together at a beer and hamburger joint called Honker's that Dusty had suggested. Dusty, Mayday, and Skipper, a friend of Dusty's, joined them. Because no one table could park all to them, they spread out some. Blade, Mayday, Dusty, and half of both Skipper and Windlifter at one table, Cabbie , Benjamin and the other halfway of Skipper and Windlifter at another, and most all the jumpers at still another. Once the food was served, it became apparent that this was still not enough room so Cad, Joe-Joe and Maru took another table. Cad soon found himself alone though because first Dottie, Maru's serious crush and unofficial girlfriend came over and abducted him, then Joe-Joe went off to tell the _real_ version of a story Benjamin was telling and never came back.

Sitting by himself Cad looked around the establishment. It had highly decorated walls hung with all sorts of memorabilia, but was rather plain other wise. The clientele was of two types too. One was the locals all dressed in their fines town paint and the other were tourists hungrily gnawing on Bar-B-Q. Cad saw one car that was different though. Where all the rest were mostly there to eat, drink, or dance, she seemed to roll about with a purpose.

She rolled up to Cad's table and asked in a thick British accent,"Hello, is anyone sitting here?"

Cad was dumbfounded for a second,"Um... No not really."

"Great then I'll sit here." She said and parked across from him.

Cad studied her a moment, she was a Nissan Silvia and had a black hood but was hot pink everywhere else. Seeing her sharply defined quarter panels he couldn't help but stare; and what a mouth, she had lips like Dynamite's only fuller. Cad hadn't ever thought it could be possible! She made it worse by flicking out a small mirror and preceding to redden her lips even more with a lipstick. Finishing with her lips she blinked her eyes up to look at Cad,"I sit down at your table and I don't even know your name, how rude, what is it by the way?"

"Umm... Cad... Spinner." Cad gulped. He was sure his face was bright red by now.

"Ahh I'm, Silvia, but everyone around here calls me Silver." She paused and smiled.

Cad was still a bit dumbstruck,"So h-h-how did you get the name Silver?"

Silvia flounced her mirrors,"I'm a dancer and it is my show name. The first costume I wore was in fact silver so that's my name."

Cad cocked his hood,"Where do you dance?"

"Oh... Just a few doors down."She answered quickly, almost too quickly.

"What kind of dance do you do?"Cad asked feeling a bit braver.

Silvia fidgeted a moment,"Umm... Exotic and some pole."

Cad sipped his oil to momentary forestall answering,"Oh... So... Ummm...so your a stripper?"

"Yes." Boldness return to her,"So what do you do?"

Cad laughed,"As of this summer I'm smokejumper."

Silvia cocked her head and smiled nicely,"What brought you to the fire service?"

Cad laughed,"It's a bit of a long story actually."

"I have time if you do." She said encouragingly.

Cad took a long breath,"Well my stepdad worked as a ranger up in Canada, when I was younger. He was the one that enrolled me in Boy Scouts. And because he was my idol and the Scouts stress good management of land and resources, it kinda fit that I wanted in the Forestry service. It was in the first year of high school that I realized that. But then my Mom wanted to move back to the States and of course my stepdad, a native Canadian, didn't want to. He loved his job and the land he watched. Mom got it deep under her chassis though and left him over it. We moved to New York, right on the border of New Jersey. Within a year mom remarried, this new guy was a big time politician and had a terrible way of being a complete tailpipe! I sadly took up emulating him. After collage, he pulled some strings and got me a job in the Parks service out at Piston Peak. One Christmas I came home and complained about the superintendent, my stepdad pulled some more stings and soon I was superintendent. That wasn't good for anybody out there. I wielded and dealed all the Parks funds around, and shifting most of the budget to the Fusal Lodge restoration project. I was a real jerk. Then the Secretary of the Interior came out and got to witness half the park burn down overnight because of my money games. I should have been fired. But by some slide of fate I got sent out to Death Valley. That's what got me on the straight and narrow. While I was out there, we had a fire come through and I was helping out with supplies at a relief station, when I got to talking with one of the fire fighters about what brought him to his job. He inspired me by saying that he did it to give back. He gave me Mayday's number. I called him and told him what I wanted to do. Smoke jumping. Mayday said I was plum crazy but sent me to Blade. Blade trained me and I've been working with his team ever since." When he finished Cad figured he'd said too much and bored her.

Instead of being bored she smiled,"You sure have had an interesting life."

Cad nodded,"Yup, the cards just seem to always fall crazy for me. Yeah, you said you dance around here but your clearly not from here, what's your story."

"Oh... Well..." She started but was cut off by Drip rushing over and loudly whispering to Cad,"You gotta come see this. This is ... Off the chain! It's unbelievable! You won't believe it!"

Cad and Silvia followed Drip and the other Jumpers, who inevitably tagged along, outside and around to the side of the building. Peering around the corner, the group caught sight of Windlifter and Cabbie doing the unthinkable... Smoking in front of Blade. Windlifter had a large peace pipe and Cabbie a Cuban cigar. All were amiablely chatting with the locals. This was a miracle of miracles. Normally Blade would have been ranting and raving over the fire danger that this kind of behavior was while Maru would list the health concerns all while waving a wrench inches from said aircrafts nose. In fact this had happened only one time before in all jumper history and that had been back when Blade and Maru were closer to the bottom of the totem pole.

To the groups increased shock Maru in fact walked right by this spectacle and didn't even bat an eye! Now be that with his girlfriend of course to though, but still she was a mechanic too all right and this should have cause the biggest explosion since the hydrogen bomb was invented. This was turning out to be a crazy night all right.

The group meandered back inside after a bit and Cad and Silvia returned to their table. When Silvia's favorite song, Addicted to You, came on she looked pleadingly at Cad,"Hey, I know we just met and all but would you like to dance."

Cad looked deep into her eyes and shrugged,"Why not?"

Soon the two were looked in a crazy jumble of Hip Hop and swing as they circled the dance floor over and over. After the song Cad couldn't get his eyes off of her. It didn't matter what she was doing whether it was sitting there talking or dancing her heart out she was beautiful to him. He could feel it, he was falling for her. Falling for a strip dancer. What was fate doing?

As they circled off the dance floor Silvia turned to Cad," Hey you want anything to drink?"

Cad shook his hood,"No not to night. I'm not gonna risk Blade's rath for drinking the night before the air show."

Silvia giggle laughed,"Not that kind of drink, silly. I meant an oil."

"Oh, dumb me, go on then I think I will get one too. I'm a bit low after that dance."Cad said.

At the counter the waitress, an aqua GMC Safari with a smug attitude, took their order. After a long while she came back."Sorry folk, we're packed tonight, so it took me a minute."She growled.

The two took their oils and drove off back to their table. Cad gulped his down enjoying how it cooled his engine. Silva on the other hand took one sip and regretted it. That had to be the worst oil she had ever tasted in her entire life. She pushed it away and ignored it. The two visited for sometime. As the night approached eleven Maru rolled over to their table,"Blade says we gotta go find your lodgings and bed down for the night. Come on Cad."

"Sure thing Maru." Cad called over the forklifts fast receding trunk. He turned back to Silva,"hey, you want to trade numbers or something?"

Silvia smiled,"Yeah, sure. That would be great."

After they had exchanged numbers Cad and her drove off to the register. The attendant pitty rang their bills up and the both payed. Rolling away from the counter Silvia grinned,"I guess I should walk you...-burp- out...-hick up-."

Cad looked at her, she was fast turning green."Silvia are you alright?" He asked as she lurched forward almost into a display.

She didn't respond because she hurled all over the display and the restaurant. Cad had not at all expected her to barf especially not to projectile vomit bright red, retardant red, oil everywhere.

The purple tug, Dottie, rushed over to Silvia. Cad backed off as the mechanic attended the sick car. A green and yellow fuel truck, who was also in the restaurant, looked at the fuel now spattered all over. Upon close inspection of the mess his eyes popped," What were you thinking Sliver! You cannot drink jet fuel."

Silva looked up at him,"That's not what I ordered though. I ordered an oil!"

"Who filled your order?" Chug asked.

"Martha... Hick... Belch." The rest of the restaurants occupants grimaced as Silvia vomited again.

In about ten minutes the restaurant was cleaned up. Dottie, seeing Silvia was now feeling a bit better had Chug take her home. Cad and his group headed toward the motel. Looking back, Cad saw Silvia slip around the corner with Chug and told himself to let her be that nothing was going to harm her it was a simple order shuffle and nothing more.

Maru handed a room key to Dynamite, while in the background Blade yelled at the motels management. Poor guy. The little agricultural plane had gotten more than he bargained for when he forbade Blade and Maru from sleeping in the same hanger. Saying,"We have a firm single aircraft per inflata hanger policy!" This was completely different to what Blade had heard on the telephone days earlier when he placed the reservation. From there the argument escalated until Dynamite was forced to hand back the key. Blade stormed out of the office and met the crew outside.

"We have been reduced to the apron!" Whispered Avalanche to Cad.

Cad didn't really care but watched as the other vehicles, especially Maru, half heartedly griped about it to Blade. Blade wouldn't take any of it and gave his best get-over-it glare.

Out on the apron, the crew started to bed down. Dipper and the heavies parked close together for safety and warmth even though the night was still warm. The jumpers ether crawled into their rides or curled up in one of the two's shadows. Windlifter got as close to the heavies as he felt comfortable and then folded his rotors back to get comfy. Grumbling, Maru cuddled up next to Benjamin and sat their cursing the motel management. Blade was about to settle down himself, when a large black shape appeared next to him.

"Do you all need so place to stay?" The vehicles said calmly.

Blade looked at the strange plane. She, at least the voice sounded like a womans, was all black even her eye lids and windows. Her face and body where not the usual round of an airplane's but instead all of her body seemed to have been squashed out to two long chimes that ran the length of her leading edges. Leaning decidedly in, her tails, turned from the very root and not just the tips like most other planes when she motioned to her hanger. "My husband and I's hanger is plenty big for all of you to sleep there. And seeing guests out on the streets is such a sad sight." She said almost sadly.

Blade nodded awkwardly,"I really don't want to be an inconvenience though and you really don't have to do this."

"I know I didn't have to do this. I want to. The name is Emelia. I trust you're Blade Ranger, Dusty's trainer?"She blinked her brilliant green eyes.

Blade was socked." How do you know my name?"

Emilia smiled,"I am Skipper Rily's wife, he told me about you and your crew. Aren't you all helping out with the air show? He said Dusty had introduced you all to him tonight."

Blade nodded in understanding. So this was Skipper's wife. In the restaurant Skipper had described her as a caring and eccentric heart in a delta wing UFO looking plane, he couldn't have been more right.

After a short conversation with Windlifter, the crew tiredly followed Blade and him to Emilia's home. Cabbie caught up with Blade and whispered,"Emilia is a rarity all right, I've only seen one other SR71 not in a picture, in all my time!"

Continuing to roll Emilia flipped around and faced Cabbie,"You may have only seen one other SR. But I am no SR. I'm an interceptor, an AF12."

Cabbie wanted to hide in that moment. It was incredibly rude to miss classify someone let alone be over heard talking about someone else's breed. He had forgotten how sensitive the SR family's hearing was. C119's generally had good hearing and eye sight but it didn't come close to spy plane level which was by itself in a different class. Even above that of modern fighters.

The group passed a flight school and turned down a long dirt drive way. At the end of the dive a large white hanger, built in southern Victorian farm house style, loomed up. The group followed Emilia inside. Benjamin and Cabbie had both doubted if they would be welcome inside, do to there size and all, but they were pleasantly surprised when the house seemed to have been build for planes of their build.

After something like ten minutes of reintroductions the fire crew settled into their quarters. Cad shared a bed with all the other jumpers. Even with them all in the same bed no one could touch each other, the bed was so large. In fact if Skipper had not been vehemently against it, Cabbie and Benjamin could have comfortable shared a bed.

Because the room was dark and the night latish, the Jumpers we're soon asleep. Cad was purring softly when his phone buzzed. In his sleepy delirium he opened the text.

"HELP I've been poisoned."

"Calling Doctor"

"Help me"

Rereading the text it finally hit him, something must be seriously wrong with Silvia or this was the worst prank ever. If this was a prank... Who ever instated it would be paying a huge price.


	13. Chapter 13 a murder

Cad Trouble 13

The house was dark as Cad felt his way down the carpeted ramp that lead to the upstairs were the PPF crew were lodged. He circled a pile of mail that was left lying there randomly. At the bottom of the ramp he looked into the kitchen, where one reading light was on. Who would be up at one in the morning? A voice murmured something in the kitchen. Cad peered around the half closed door. A very small F22 was talking to some on face-time through a hologram on the tip of it's nose."Yes Finn of course. I'll be watching the target closely. Wait just a second will you."

Cad had a sinking feeling in the pit of his fuel tank and silently whipped around and receded up the ramp in silence and back into the jumper's room. There the sounds of Dynamite's snores drowned out any possible noise the F22 might have made coming up the ramp. Cad looked at his phone, nothing more from Silvia. He put it down and after a minute rolled back to the door. Gazing out into the darkness he almost jumped when his phone buzzed again. Expectantly he swiped it open.

"No need to come.I am in good care."

"Going to hospital now."

"Sent for Silvia by Dorthy"

Scrunching his brow Cad wondered, who was Dorthy? Probably just a nurse or EMT. Shrugging he went back in bed. Silvia was in capable tines so why worry. Still a little ball of worry needed in his tanks.

Cad hadn't gotten into bed to soon, because just as he lay still a beam of light flashed around the room from the door. Cad froze with his eyes shut as naturally as possible. When the beam flashed out he dared to open one eye and saw the back side of the F22 now peering into Cabbie's room with the light. The plane rolled into the room and stopped a moment. A woman's soft chuckle echoed. Ah... so the F22 was a female and not a child. She must be a bantam verity.

Cad jumped when he heard Cabbie shout,"Ahh... WHAT... Ouhf!"

Cad's movement of the bed stirred several of the jumpers who sat bolt upright. Blade's door flew open as he stormed out into the hall way.

"All right who's horsing around in here?" He growled viciously blustering into Cabbie's room.

He came face to face with the door which slammed into his nose. He wheeled around and rushed into the jumper's room. "What for Chystler's sake is going on!"

The light flashed on and the blinking jumpers where met with Blade's death stare. Blade did a speedy count of the jumper's and didn't wait for an answer. "Cabbie, I sure hope your ready in there cause I'm coming in." Blade called through the door.

Blade opened the door and witnessed Cabbie hopped around in circles tangled in blankets and pillows growling,"where'd you go punk! Wires aren't a laughing matter!"

Blade closed the door behind himself while he discussed the midnight marauder.

Out in the hall Maru stumbled into the jumper's room,"What in tarnation is going on?!"

"We don't know."Dynamite retorted.

The mechanic shook his canopy,"Well if that poor plane doesn't get a break on the pranks soon there's gonna be hell to pay." He finished with a fierce glare around the room.

"WE DIDN'T DO IT THIS TIME!"Avalanche shouted.

"Well then who did?"Maru challenged.

Cad cleared his throat. All eyes focused on him."I saw a bantam F22 come up here. It shown a light around in here and then in Cabbie's room. After it went in there the shouting started."

"Hmm."Maru thought to himself. He turned and left the room to speak with Blade.

Emilia dressed in a super flowy lacy bathrobe glided up the ramp."What is all this shouting!" She called, gazing into Cabbie's room looking Blade right in the eyes.

"Some punk F22 thought it would be _funny_ to come up here and terrorize vehicles in their sleep." Cabbie almost shouted.

"Hmmm..." Emelia looked at Skipper, who had followed her up the ramp. "This sounds like a great misunderstanding. It was probably just an ancient. In fact,"she looked at Blade,"an individual fitting this description is staying here too. She probably just got disoriented coming back to her room and went in the wrong room. When she saw Cabbie in what she probably thought was her own bed she freaked and attacked. When she discovered her mistake she fled. I'll have a talk with her in the morning. Now let's please all go back to bed."

Blade cut Cabbie a look, screaming please be quiet."All right then good night." He said to Emelia.

Emelia swept out of the room and down the ramp, Skipper whispered something to her as they headed the bottom.

In twenty minutes everyone but the jumpers had settled down. In the jumper's room no one seemed to be able to lay comfortably. The room was restless. Cad fluffed the covers here and pushed them down there. Nothing made him comfortable. Rolling to one side he saw his phone light up. Was it Silvia?

"Hey Cad"

"I'm in the hospital right now so don't worry"

"Tomorrow this number will be discontinued so don't text me. I will text you later on my new number."

Cad looked at his phone confused. This sequence of texts had to be the weirdest he had ever gotten. _Maybe it was a_ _conniving_ _way for her to not get close to me_ , Cad thought sadness mellowing his excitement, _she is a stripper after all._

A while latter Dynamite had an instinctual feeling that someone might need guarding. She picked up her blanket and rolled to Cabbie's room. The others silently followed her obeying the same instinct. The dirt beasts silently entered the dark room, fanning out around their ride's bed and laying down. Here all of them slept soundly until the morning, when Cabbie found them, but not before Maru had snapped a dozen pictures of this on his Polaroid. This had to go down in history.

* * *

The morning was bright and glorious. The team made excellent use of it, practicing their stunts on the new strip. After three test drops Dynamite proclaimed them ready. This was going to be one wild show.

The air show started at twelve, but by eleven the grand stands were already packed. In addition to the Piston Peak crew, the Falcon Hawks and some local stunt devils were also performing. The Falcon Hawks had an oddball member with them. A crazy almost rusted out tow truck. Skipper claimed he had taught him to fly.

While the crew waited for the show to start Cad rolled over to this crazy tow truck. Before Cad could say hello the tow truck introduced himself,"Houdy, my name's Mater. What's yours?"

Cad was almost taken aback by the wild tow truck, this truck had to be crazy! "Um my name's Cad Spinner. Nice to meet you."

"You too buddy," Mater leaned in closer to Cad,"you haven't seen a pink and red sports car named Silver running around here have you?"

Cad cocked an eyebrow,"Not today. But last night I meet her in Honker's."

"Oh shuckers, I needed to have some big meeting with her." Mater frowned.

Cad considered telling Mater about the texts but didn't.

Mater leaned even closer to Cad,"Silver's really a secret agent."

Cad gave Mater a look that screamed YOU ARE TOTALLY CRAZY. How could Silvia be a spy it just didn't seem right. And if she was why would she be out in some poe-dunk town in the center of Nebraska, stripping? This tow truck was crazy so this was probably part of his crazy.

Cabbie rolled over to the whispering automobiles," Never thought I'd see you up here, Mater. What have you been up to?"

Mater grinned,"I've been doing all sorts of stuff. Helpen' Sheriff out an putterin' around with your old woman and Lizzy. They decided ta make a real fancy online internet store. We had to get Harv to help us with the coding though-Lighting thought he could do it himself but... Oh yeah and Frank got Lighting."

Cabbie shook his head in amazement,"You mean that old combine caught Lighting McQueen?"

Mater nodded vigorously,"Yup he did. You should have seen Ramone's face. It was funny!"

Cabbie decided to change the subject,"You said my wife has been helping Ol' Lizzy out?"

"Yup sure thing,"Mater grinned,"She really likes being able to roll around again."

Blade called a huddle so Cad and Cabbie left Mater to finish readying himself.

Later while Benjamin was in his lazy loops of his holding pattern waiting for his turn in the show, Cad's curiosity got the better of him."Benjamin, did you know that Cabbie is married."He asked.

Benjamin's reply boomed around in his bay,"Yeah of course. He's been planning a vow renewal since I met him."

Cad had no idea how having known Cabbie for well longer than Benjamin he had never been informed of this fact. "But how does his wife know that tow truck?"

Benjamin shrugged,"Your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

The green light flashed on for Benjamin's jumpers, who promptly bailed out to begin their descending routines. Cad waited on the tip of Benjamin's beaver tail door for his own light. Swooping aggressively around again Benjamin started counting Cad off for his jump. Swirling around his head Benjamin's counts excited Cad. In two hundred yards, Cad noticed and forced his engine to slow down the green light flashed. He jumped into space.

After falling for a few seconds Cad performed a basic roll and deployed his chute. He was a novice at sky diving stunts, so Dynamite had assigned him something so simple even Maru could perform it. Cad touched down and rolled forward to check himself before dashing off after the others over several ramps and obstacles. Grouping together the jumpers charged back across the tar-mack and into photographic history as Blade and Dusty swooped over and the grandstands exploded in flash.

* * *

Cabbie really don't know why he had even agreed to stay later after the air show. Blade had even asked him point blank,"would you like to fly back in the dark or right after the show?" But he had in a moment of what he was trying to convince himself was bad judgement agreed to fly back later. Now he was parked under a prop shaped awning being fed an extra large fresh salad by Maru, while the later remarked on the positive attributes of Dottie.

"You know Cabbie, Dottie really isn't that bad of a cook?" Maru said inserting a cherry tomato and a couple leaves of lettuce into Cabbie's open mouth.

Cabbie chewed the salad thoughtfully,"So what DO you classify as a bad cook? You seem to eat just about what ever is set before you... Well except that... Burnt pile of glob Blade made."

"And just for the record you didn't either, open up my fork is getting tired." Maru said holding up an other loaded utensil.

"What makes a good cook?" Cabbie ate the waiting salad,"Good tasting food, good drink pairing instincts, and ... Mmmmm this salad is really good... A friendly face."

"I wouldn't say your mug is anything special!" Jibed Maru.

"Nether is yours princess... Omff..." Maru jammed in a load of dripping lettuce."What was that?! If your gonna smear it all over me then I might as well just eat it myself."

"Just don't call me princess."Maru glared at the big plane.

"Deal, deal, deal. I won't call you princess."Cabbie smiled, the excitement over."Where do you want to park for the fireworks?"

Maru scanned the area that would soon be the grand stands for the fireworks show, it was getting dark," How about over there?"He pointed to a large open spot near the closest corn field.

Maru nodded in approval, inserting another fork of salad.

A while later the Piston Peak crew gathered together on the spot Maru and Cabbie had found. Dipper, of course, brought Dusty along. With Dusty came Mayday, Chug the green and yellow fuel tuck, and Skipper. Dottie meandered into the group a while later and found Maru.

"Does your wife not like fireworks?"Blade asked Skipper when Emelia didn't come out for the fireworks.

"No she really does like them, I am the one that doesn't, but she wasn't feeling so well, so she stayed home. She has fuel tank problems, it bothers her to roll around a lot."Skipper sighed glancing at the now dark sky.

Blade nodded understanding but hoping never to truly understand. He hated to be cooped up in a hanger.

* * *

 _*This is Alfa won won tree requesting permission to initiate operation Extinct Extraction*_

 _*Go ahead_ alfa _won won tree we're watching you*_

 _*Copy that C.H.R.O.M.E over and out*_

* * *

Silvia repainted midnight blue peered around the corner of Dottie's repair shop. Opening her hologram she pulled up another agent."Veil, how does your corner look, is he coming?"

Well hidden behind several 55 gallon drums the bantam F22 replied looking around her hologram,"Yes the target is approaching my position. He seems to only be armed with a concealed machine gun. Nothing more."

Silvia nodded,"That should make our job a little easier. Hunker down and wait him out." She closed her hologram and looked on as a minivan entered a near by porta potty.

Silvia waited for we several long moments before she received Veils buzz in her head set that ment she at least was clear and the target was headed her way. As the wait continued Silvia was tempted to move her position because of the horrific smells that continued to waft her way because of the porta potties. Over head the first fireworks exploded in a brilliant array of green, yellow and gold: of course they were the sponsoring company Vitaminamulch colors. As all windscreens were turned heaven-ward a green and black mustang slipped into Silvia's line of sight and hastily into the nearest porta potty. She cursed herself for letting him enter the porta potty but decided to change the plan a bit and use this to her advantage. "Veil, the target has slipped by me and is now corned in the water closet." She breathed into her hologram just above a whisper.

Veil shook her head ,"Well that's a lucky stroke at least he's cornered. But you say he's in the lue?"

"Yup, cornered in the lou." Silvia chirped almost giggling.

* * *

Emilia was uneasy the entire fireworks show. At first she blamed it on her own unsettled tanks but as the show progressed she couldn't manage to dispel her uneasiness. Finally she couldn't take it any more and rushed out the front door and toward the Fill and Fly. Ignoring the harsh pain all over her, she taxied down Main street as the last fireworks boomed over head.

* * *

Truth be told Skipper had had to go all night, but after the last firework exploded he really had to go I mean really had to. Rushing around the corner of the Fill and Fly, he darted down the mostly abandoned street toward the porta potties.

* * *

Inside the porta potties Ripslinger had waited. He waited until the show ended to make a charge out of hiding when the crowd would be at it's worst. When no crowd came surging toward him he got desperate. He would yield his cover to the first restroom user to come along, which he hoped would give him just long enough to escape and carry out the remainder of his mission.

A Corsair charged up to his hiding place, so of course he opened the door and prepared to face down the two agents.

Silvia and Veil recognized the maneuver and also saw the eminent danger Skipper was in but it was too late to warn him. Darn American law enforcement that never believed foreign intelligence. If the police had been there and blocked off the street when Ripslinger had changed down it instead of ignoring the two spies and their intelligence, all this could have been avoided.

* * *

All over Propwash Junction the sound of machine gun fire echoed in the silence after the fireworks. A loud yell almost like a battle cry echoed around the streets. The heavily modified P51 was surprised when an enraged SR71 jumped on him and not the two agent that had followed him around all day.

The tussle swept down the street, Emelia almost riding him as he twisted and turned attempting to throw her off and shoot at the agents. This seen only managed to attract more attention from the crowd, many of whom darted forward to disarm the Mustang and help the SR. But in the resulting confusion almost nothing was accomplished except a barrel of oil was overturned on the pavement. Both fighting planes rolled though the oil slick kicking up huge amount of it as they went, thoroughly coating each other. In a violent twist Ripslinger managed to slam Emelia into the oiled pavement and slip out of her grasp into the wild crowd.

Once free he charged back down the street toward the slumped form of Skipper. Jumping over him Ripslinger was ambushed buy the two spies. He flipped back to face the two new assailants and squeezed off a round.

At this point Mayday and the other fire and emergency workers had managed to subdue the crowd and push them back to a safe distance. Cad stood at the head of the main Street with some of the jumpers. "What is even going on?" A crop duster in a corn cob costume asked.

Cad looked a Blackout who was next to him,"Their is an active shooting. Let's all take a huge roll back now. Yes now let's!"

More shots sounded over the noise of the crowd. Blackout looked back at the street and the oil slick,"Shootings are never convenient but this has to be the cake. Where even are those damn police when you need them!"

Cad shrugged and was about to reply when Emeilia rushed up to them and attempted to pass back to the oil slick."Ma'am you have to stay back!"Blackout said gently but planted himself to hold her back if necessary. Cad and Avalanche, braced themselves. The spy plane stopped just short of them and gave a death glare to rival Blades when he stared down Maru tines full of contraband.

"My husband is back there bleeding out and you won't let me though! A bunch you sure are." She spat her voice full of vitriol. The three jumpers braced themselves but in a surprise show of acrobatics she lept over them. A street over Ripslinger fled into the sky taking off of the road itself. The F22 gave pursuit.

Emilia sped down the street to Skipper's limp body. Feeling his wings she found no pulse. A puddle of oil was steadily growing under him as oil rushed down his cowling and wing roots. Dottie and Maru arrived toting a pile of hastily gathered tools, fluids, and bandages. Emilia backed up a roll to give them space to discover the truth she had found.

After many minutes of the two mechanics hard work to save the aged plane, a police car finally arrived. With him came a littoral flood of investigators and other officers just minutes too late. From a short distance to her downed mate she answered all the police officers question and even helped file her part of the report. In the meantime the area had become a littoral zoo as the mechanics found Skipper dead and the investigation proceeded. One investigator laid tape down around the body. Another collected the discharged shell casings and other small bits of evidence, while still more officers questioned witnesses. The chief of police himself questioned Silviaand Veil- once she returned.

When the seen was thoroughly gone over the investigation team prepared to remove Skipper. Emilia overheard this. She through herself on her dead mate and began to guard him like she would have a new born chick. The investigators decided not to fight her anymore and instead put her and the corpse up on a flat bed. The truck hauling this distressing cargo almost cried himself as he slowly made his way through the town. The towns folk left after the excitement of the day and the following events, rolled with the truck to the edge of town where a small forklift in an airforce medics uniform produced a bugle and played the haunting melody of taps over the truck and cargo as they passed. All the townsfolk stood at attention until the last note and saluted the now disappearing trucks cargo.

Even amongst the PPF crew there was a somberness as the tuck passed. Cabbie stood at ridged attention honoring an other solider and family no matter what the circumstances of their death. Blade and Windlifter, who were conferring even stopped and adopted Cabbie's stance. The jumper all paused in the cleanup jobs they had volunteered for and stood with the rest of their crew. Only Maru, who was bandaging a child's tire that had been cut open by a piece of shattered window pane, didn't stop but nodded his head in a final farewell to the old plane.

It was around midnight when the investigators got to the PPF crew so flying back to the park was delayed until the next morning. The crew spent the night restlessly on the runway apron. The wild sense of the night before was gone and had been replaced by a heaviness that brooded over the entire town.

* * *

The morning dawned red and stormy. Benjamin and Windlifter were itching to be in the air and headed home. Blade offered to stay behind and assist Mayday with filing his end of the reports, but Mayday kindly refused. So the team headed home just before the storms hit the area.

The ride back to base was one of the quietest Cad had ever taken with the air crew. On the way out everyone, even Blade, had gotten in on the jokes at some point. Now the airwaves were silent except for the occasional request put in to airports along the way to land for fuel, or orders about taking off or landing. Even when the whole crew stopped for a lunch break the normal craziness was so curbed that Cad wondered if he was even living with the same vehicles.

Back on the base it was Patches opening greetings that forced them out of their funk. With in a week all was back to normal... until this happened.

* _Tree tree Whiskey come in! This is alfa won won tree do you read me*_

 _*I read you_ alfa _won won tree, how can I assist?*_

 _*Got a medic on base still?*_

 _*Yes... Maru is here. What is going on Siddeley*_

 _*It is to classified to talk about over the radio but let's say code is down and needs a medic pronto.*_

 _*I'll notify Patch of your presence and tell Maru. Over*_

 _*Over and out*_


	14. Chapter 14 trouble the world over

CadTrouble 14

Exhausted, was the only word to describe the Smokejumpers as they trudged up the last hill towards the Piston Peak Air Attack base. For three days the crew had participated in a training exercise with a neighboring base. The training had been decent but highly straining on the jumpers shit o-meeters, especially Pinecone's as the ground Chief wouldn't stop flirting and dropping snide remarks to her.

The mess had all started some years back when Pinecone's ex-fience had shown up one day and made himself a nuisance. After it became clear he was bothering her, Avalanche had attempted to pulverise him and did a pretty good job of it. In the relief area, during the next big fire the rumor mill got started up and the story became the stuff of common lore. The rumor went that he was now her new love and in fact was the reason she'd come out to the west coast period. As soon as possible Avalanche rooted out the main propagator of this false hood, a small green and orange skid steer form the county fire departments base nearest to Piston Peak named Jake. When Avalanche confronted him about the rumor Jake escalated the problem by turning around and telling his buddies that he couldn't believe that Pinecone would fall so hard for a liar born and breed. Avalanche exploded. Fortunately one of the heavies who was near by broke up the shouting match before anyone could get hurt. Still a life long distaste had been born.

The training exercise had been organized as a controlled burn on a farm that butted up to Piston Peak park. A five days after the Air Show, the jumpers had trekked out there in order to start the exercise. When they arrived, the county crew was no were in sight. After a couple hours Dynamite radioed Blade and gave him the news. Annoyed, Blade called over to the county's station. While Blade was on the phone, Cabbie, Maru and a nervous/jittery Windlifter, crowed around the base of Blade's house, while Cabbie passed popcorn around. The popcorn and entertainment were excellent. Needless to say the county crew showed up about an hour later at the burn sight.

That evening the nonsense started. Pinecone had swopped places with Coconut after his claw had gotten gashed by a stray piece of razor wire. This moved Pinecone next to Awal Dill, one of Jake's chief henchmen. Awal Dill passed this tidbit up the line to Jake, who promptly changed spots with his informant. As Jake mowsied over, Pinecone's danger sense went from "watching for trouble" to "that is the epitome of trouble" in nothing flat. For five minutes Jake seemed to behave himself, then he called her a hot mud flaps.

Pinecone ignored him all the rest of the day and that evening. The next day he trailed her and made almost continual small talk and was WAY to friendly. Catching on to his foolery, the PPF boys took up her case. As the sun set, Dynamite decided to end the nonsense. Using all manner of excuses to why they had to be right there right then, the whole PPF crew gathered within ear shot of the show down. This also proved to keep the county boys busy with the fire and unable to come mess up that night's entertainment.

The third day was so quiet that it almost seemed like a vacation to Dynamite's crew, except that they had to finish mopping up the burn area mostly without the county's help. Nobody wanted to help the crew that had told off their CO.

Rolling onto asphalt for the first time in three days, Cad couldn't get enough of the blessed pavement. His tires were studded with the long thorns from all over the burn field. As he cuthumped along, he envied the the vehicles who possessed treads and not only reinforced tires. But hey, at least he had reinforced tires and not just road tires like he had had back in his superintendent days, because that would have been bad!

The base was a wonderful sight to Cad's eyes. When the bright red control tower loomed up, he quickened his roll. Most of the other jumpers started calling out showering requests, but Cad had a different plan. Attack the fuel tanks! Three days of bottled rations had left him desiring more flavor and class. And might as well beat the crowd.

Arriving an base the Jumpers we're met with a furry of activity. A small jet was parked on the run way and Windlifter looked to be interrogated him. Several pittiies rushed back and forth between the Main hanger and Maru's repair bay carrying all manner of parts. Blade looked fit to be tied, one minute yelling at some power on the phone, next holding something for Maru while looking away in embarrassment, and spinning around to ask Windlifter something. Even Benjamin a newbie to the base was in on the action, cooking up a storm of mush in the kitchen. Why mush? Ask Wind he's in charge. The only vehicle not stirring was Cabbie. He had decidedly parked himself across the opening to Maru's bay with an air of a military guard emanating all over the base. If the jumper's hadn't known better they would have said one of their own must have been in that hanger.

Pausing to take to crazy seen in, the jumpers looked up to find Dipper circling over head. Silently listening in to her radio chatter Cad heard some of what was up.

*...gonna eat one of those connivers whole if they do so much as look this way.*

*November to ate, please remember your mission, and please don't eat anyone alive.*

*Wilco Patch. Those thugs won't land here if I have anything to say about it!*

*Don't eat anyone, Blade's orders!*

*In this case it's technically Windlifter's orders.*

*Aye, tower over.*

*November to ate out... Sigh...sorry I couldn't eat any of you blighters*

Cad was puzzled, what could have the base in such an up roar? Dipper circling talking about eating a vehicle, Cabbie standing guard as the base moved around him, Windlifter giving orders when Blade appeared to be perfectly healthy, and strangers galore.

Dynamite lead the jump team up to Blade, who was nosing though a huge car repair book, and silently parked herself in front of him. After a long moment Blade looked up and peered down the line of jumpers all the way back to Momo, "You probably want to know what's going on here."

Eleven canopies nodded back at Blade.

With a sigh he gestured to the side of the Main hanger. "This is Wind's project. Let's start there. As far back as I know this base has been used as an emergency medical center for agents of C.H.R.O.M.E and what you see here is just that. Windlifter took it over after Bergamot retired. We haven't had an emergency since before you got hired." He said pointing at Dynamite.

Coconut waved his claw,"So when agents have problems they come here to our base?"

Blade nodded his head non-committally,"Only when they have issues within a radius of us and nowhere else is secure at the time. They should only be here for a couple days."

Cad was confused. How had an air attack base ended up as a medical stop off for secret agents. That just had to be an excellent story.

After Blade dismissed them, the crew rolled off for the showers. As they passed Maru, the mechanic shouted to them from behind Cabbie,"Wow, I can smell you lot all the way over here. If you stick around much longer you'll wake Mr. McFinnal."

Of course this kind of talk begged a comeback, so jabbed Dynamite him,"I'd bet your sardine breath isn't helping that either." She laughed and rushed off before Maru could reply.

In the pressure washer Dynamite swore the jumpers to secrecy over the agents. Cad asked her exactly why they where here and not at a real hospital but she answered,"Like the chief said this is Windlifter's pet project and we've all never seen anything like it. We can ask around but most likely everything you see will be top secret!"

"BLACK OPS!" Avalanche yelled.

"They have to kill us if they told!" Drip said while squirting water out of his mouth.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"Avalanche shouted back at Drip who had spat at him.

Blade's voice boomed from outside,"Keep it down in there."

Abandoning his original plan, Cad rolled out of the pressure washers after an excellent bath. There is nothing like a good spraying down to wake up and refresh a tired vehicle. He headed off to the main hanger, well ahead of his shower basking comrades. Entering, Cad came across the ruins of so many gadgets and weapons that they completely covered the floor of the hanger, a Faultless bumper here, a machine gun there, a couple hundred grenades lying in a pile, oh only ten or so glass scribes thrown on the couch, diamond tip up of course. Casually pushing the door a little wider, Cad placed one tire into the midst of the booby trap. Then another, and another, the draw of good fuel waiting only a few yards away was just to much. After a bit of contortion (and a bunch of close calls with more than a hand full of weapons) Cad made his way to the kitchen. But to his horror he found the counter tops covered in engine parts. His appetite was ruined. It was a small wonder that Benjamin could even cook in there!

Turning away from the oily mess in the kitchen, he again dodged weapons and made his way the Windlifter's office. He opened the door, but came face to face with a midnight blue Nissan Silvia, instead of an empty room. She squawked in surprise on seeing him.

"Silvia?" Cad stammered.

Blade couldn't help but sigh as he read over the reports from several counties over, fires everywhere. He'd been watching the weather and by the looks of it Mother nature wasn't going to be of any help. The winds had been strong and not a drop of rain had fallen since before the fourth of July. Lightening strikes the day before, had ignited most of the fires in the other counties and none were fully contained. To Blade's trained eyes this looked like quite a mess brewing.

He picked up his radio and called over to the lodge fire station. Pulaski picked up, and the two 0when Ol' Jammer came over to ask about a new sprinkler system.

Putting his radio down Blade turned to his open hanger door and watched as a fuel truck arrived. Dynamite rolled over to the fuel truck and tested the fuel before the truck inserted it into the tanks. Good, he thought, they've learned a lesson on always testing the fuel. Slowly rolling down the ramp Blade moved over to Windlifter.

"Now we know how bad it has gotten." Windlifter sighed to Siddeley.

"Yes", the British spy plane said,"with the Queen and Prince Wheelhelm dead now, and Axelrod acquitted and Finn here missing off the face of the Earth, the situation is only gonna get worse."

The helicopter nodded," So do you think anyone will try to make a move on McMissle?"

"I wouldn't put it beyond them," the Jet motioned Blade into the conversation,"if they attempt to take Finn out. Now of course it would have been easier for them to have just done the job right back on the island, but we are lucky that they didn't. We still have our heir."

Blade squinted cuing an explanation of the whole conversation. Siddeley explained,"On the journey here, we heard of an attempted assassination on the queen. More news has just come that she and the heir are both now confirmed dead. This is horrible because Axel rod planned the whole thing and we have evidence of it. That's why Finn is hurt, he was gathering the last bits of intel, when they got him. The sticky part is that Mr. McMissle is actually the heir."

Blade gave him his "now I've heard everything" look. Windlifter shook his canopy,"Blade you have to believe him."

"Oh it's crazy enough, I kind of have to believe it though, because currently my base is over run with secret agents!"Blade vented. "But what is to be done now? You guys can't hide out here forever! I am supposed to be running a fire base."

"Don't worry Chief Ranger," Siddeley soothed," we should be out of here once Maru is done with the repairs. By then we should have another secure location where Finn can reside until this mess with Axelrod is resolved."

Blade nodded understandingly and rolled off to the overlook. Windlifter shrugged at Siddeley.

"So your not a stripper. Your a secret agent."

"Yup, you've got that right." Silvia replied to a still astonished Cad.

"I still can't believe it, like what is the likelihood of a regular guy going to some rinky dink bar in the middle of nowhere. Falling for a local dancer, loosing her in six hours, and later running into her on a fire base yet again in the middle of nowhere. And also finding out she is a spy! What is this some sort of freak reality T.V. show?"Cad almost yelled.

Silvia had only followed part of his montage," You liked me? But you never responded."

Cad could of face palmed,"Yes, I liked you! Of course I would have tried to reach you but YOU fell off the earth! Without a warning either."

A loud, aaawww, was heard through the exterior door following closely by a, keep it down Avalanche, in what sounded suspiciously like Drip's voice.

Cad's already red nose turned another whole ten shades redder in embarrassment, as he realized what was surely pressed close to the door. Embarrassment was soon replaced with rage hotter than hell as he stormed past Silvia and threw opened the door. A frantic pile of smokejumpers keen to get away fell in on him as the door flew open. Cad was about to commit mass murder when a large shadow fell across the doorway.

"Please leave my office. Finish this elsewhere. I'd run if I was you Avalanche."A calm deep voice boomed at them. Twelve pairs of eyes stared at the final intruder before following Dynamite calmly out the door. His office empty, Windlifter smiled, oh the joys of being large and impressive.

Benjamin's mush finished, Windlifter produced several frozen pizzas and reheated them. The crew and the agents all had a picnic on the runway for dinner, with even Cabbie who still stood guard, enjoying it. Shortly after sundown, Drip and Cad managed to drag the TV out of the mainhanger. Setting it on a couple pallets, they put up a rather nice impromptu movie theater where everyone could see and relax a bit. Siddeley connected a wire from his bay to the back of the TV and using the internet pulled up an ancient TV show from the sixties. After assuring the jumpers that it wouldn't be boring he cued it.

Before he could press play, a white and gold SUV from the military drove onto the base wishing to speak with Blade and Silvia. The entire team looked at each other in wonder. What now?

"Bring that mush over here Benjamin!" Blade called after a brief conversation with the SUV.

The mush delivered Benjamin rolled back over to his comrades,"What was that mush for?" Mo-mo asked.

"I don't know. I do know I never ever ever want too have to cook mush again. I had to stand over the pot and stir it, for what seemed an eternity. The steam got in my eyes and they kept fogging over. I had to turn on my windshield wipers!" He cried.

Blade and Silvia rolled back over to the group, "If you're wondering, that was a military guard. He's been stationed here to guard the base. He's asked us to not leave the base tonight because anyone seen in the woods tonight around this base will be shot. In daylight the base will return to normal but for tonight please respect the order."The car said calmly.

All the agents nodded back, but half the base crew was shocked. Not allowed off the base! What! Still they nodded along.

Siddeley turned on the show and an excitement fell over the crew. Blade racked his memory, as a forklift rolled across a black and white Navy base. He entered a hanger where an angry military Jeep waited. "Ensign Charles Parker, reporting for duty." The clumsy little forklift rattled off, while knocking over a pile of papers.

Blade had it, this was McHale's Navy. This parents house keeper had always watched it while she washed dishes up, when he was a chick in fuzz. Before he could blurt it out though Cabbie shouted over the TV,"Hey, Sid, that's my show! McHale's Navy!"

"WELL WHAT EVER IT IS, IT IS GREAT. SSSSSSHHHHHHHH." Avalanche said.

"Thank-you," boomed Maru from behind Cabbie where he still worked on Finn.

After five or so episodes Blade announced that it was bed time for his crew. The jumper trudged off fiending despondency to their hanger and then to the power washers. Cad was the last out as he was allowed water usage last. Dumb seniority again, he thought to himself as he exited tooth polisher on his hood. When he turned the corner to head back to the hanger Silvia jumped out at him from behind the corner. He jumped dropping his tooth polisher. Before he new it she had her tires on his and was staring into his eyes. Her ocean blue meeting his dark brown. The two opposites meeting and longing to never part.

"Cad, I'm sorry I left you."Silvia blurted out still holding his gaze.

Cad was speechless.

"After all this is over maybe we could get together"

Cad cut her off,"hold on what's gotten into you."

"Cad I've wanted you since I first clapped eyes on you back in Propwash. Please let us at least try to be a thing. Your not married are you?" She gasped a horrible idea coming to her.

Cad was astounded,"Me married! No way, I was such a mess before death valley that even prostitutes where turned off!" Another thought hitting him,"So, that's why you came over to me in the bar. I had thought it was that you wanted me and my crew's business down at your club. I only got worried about you after the texts started to come. Then the whole mess of that night and the next nights drama went down and I flushed you out of my mind because I thought you abandoned me. I very expected you to show up here."

"Me neither," she said. "After I went home that night I in fact rendezvous with another agent that was at the same event working a different case. She left me to mop up for her, but I couldn't say anything to you because I was under cover."

"What a convoluted mess." Cad sighed, then on second thought,"maybe we are messed up enough that it might just work. We were both attracted to each other on first meeting."

In a crazy impulsive Cad smooched Silvia right on the lips. Silvia jumped but then relaxed and enjoyed.

CLICK. The two lovers eyes flew open. A navy blue forklift stood beside them a Polaroid in tine. He grinned and ran off back to the safety of his repair bay.

Both cars glared off after him but didn't move, instead basking in each other's company. Maru and his camera be damned.

A warm glow shone out of Windlifter's hanger. Inside the big heli chatted on the phone,"Good night dear." He said.

"Before I go, Silas, you won't get to be serenaded by my voice in the morning. We're all flying out at dawn and I know the kids will be dragging their tails."

"But won't LA be worth it?" He asked.

"It most definitely will dear, Fluffed has been talking about Lego Land none stop for three weeks." She sighed.

"Ah you will have fun Amery." The two lapsed into silence.

"Good night."

"Good night Amery." Windlifter hung up the phone and rolled over to his sleeping mat. He grabbed a blanket and rolled to the door. Shutting off the light a violent tremor of ill will slid up his spine all the way to his head. He shook himself and lay down on his mat. Closing his eyes he suspended," Guard us Great One."


End file.
